Sleepless In Boston
by themindofmine
Summary: Eliot and Kenna settle into life with baby Faith with some bumps along the way...lots of family, friendship...love.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I own something but it's not Leverage or anything pertaining to its characters. I do own Kenna and Faith but I loan them to Eliot on a daily basis because every good man needs a good woman and kids who worship him. Thank you to all who read and for those of you new to my world. Please review because my ego needs it now and then and if you don't know who Kenna is, meet her in the BFF Job and make your way from there.

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter One

"Parker, get me an ice pack will ya?" Eliot said as he headed toward the living room. She grabbed one out of the freezer and tossed it to him. Catching it in mid air the bag burst open and white liquid sprayed on him and a little on Hardison who was standing next to him.

"Oh, sorry." She squinted. "What is that?"

"Breast milk Parker. You just threw me a bag of partial frozen breast milk." He looked over to see Hardison gagging.

"I need a shower." He pushed past Eliot and headed out the door. Parker came and handed Eliot a towel.

"I'm really sorry. Faith isn't going to go hungry now is she?" Eliot looked up at her. The poor girl was almost cationic.

"No Parker. Faith won't go hungry, I promise. Look what you're doing when you dig around in my freezer from now on."

"How was I supposed to know Kenna kept that stuff in there?" Eliot chuckled.

"Now you know." Eliot looked around. He had been home for ten minutes and hadn't seen Kenna or Faith. "Kenna?" He hollered out. Going into the baby's room he found her curled up on the daybed with Faith lying next to her. The child was wide awake and gurgling. "Hey beautiful." He lifted the little girl up and snuggled her. "You been given' your mama a hard time?" He pulled the covers over Kenna and brought Faith out into the living room.

"Oh can I hold her?" Parker was already washing her hands.

"You want to see your auntie Parker?" Eliot asked his daughter. The girl smiled or what passed for a three week olds smile. He handed the baby over to the thief. "Watch her head." He said as he handed Parker the child.

"I can't believe how much she looks like you." Parker went and sat on the couch and was talking gibberish to the baby. Eliot went and started dinner.

"You want to stay for dinner?" Parker looked up.

"Depends what you're having."

"Strawberry salad and baked chicken."

"Bread pudding for desert?" Parker looked hopeful.

"I think I have some in the freezer."

"Ewww next to the breast milk?" Eliot smiled.

"I promise the breast milk never touched the pudding." He pulled a pan out of the freezer. He stated chopping the vegetables for the salad. "How's she doing over there?"

"I really think she likes me." Parker made faces at Faith and the little girl gave a smile.

"What's not to like Parker?" The thief looked at him.

"Thanks Eliot." She really liked the daddy Eliot. He was the same but different. Softer around the edges.

"Hey, while the chicken's simmering can you watch Faith?"

"Sure." Eliot wiped his hands on a towel and went into Faith's room. Kenna was still sleeping. He moved her over a bit and lay next to her. He felt her body conform to his.

"Faith?"

"Parker has her out in the living room." He kissed the back of her neck. "Dinner is in the oven and Faith is having a play date with her crazy girl aunt so we have twenty six minutes to decompress and relax."

"Faith sleeps like you do. Two hours a night. How does a child do that? How do you do that?"

"It's in the genes." Kenna closed her eyes.

"I like your genes but man I could use just a little more sleep." Eliot chuckled.

"I got at least two days home before Nate finds us a new job."

"Good. You and Faith can keep each other company." Eliot knew the past week had been hard on her. He didn't want to leave but Nate had a job up state that needed taking care of. They had taken care of things as fast as they could but Eliot knew that Kenna had been struggling but she would never admit it.

"Dinner will be ready soon." Eliot got up.

"How did things in Salam?"

"The witch museum is awesome." Kenna smiled. "That is one place Parker will never steal anything from." Eliot reached for her hand and pulled her out of the bed.

"I really did miss you cowboy." Kenna wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply. "I may complain about the lack of sleep I'm getting but I wouldn't change it. Finding you again, having Faith. You know that right?"

"Yeah, you know I feel the same way, right?" Kenna kissed him again. The long day had been worth every minute knowing that Eliot would be home tonight.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

Dinner was nice. Hardison came back down after his thirty minute shower. Nate and Sophie had gone to a bed and breakfast upstate for a few days so it was just the four of them. After dinner and catching Kenna up on all she missed while they were in Salam everyone headed to bed.

"You need to sleep little girl." Eliot whispered to the infant in his arms. "You mom is all alone in that big bed in there and I would like to spend some part of tonight holding her." The baby smiled at him. She was the most beautiful child he had ever seen. "If I sing you one song you have to go to sleep." He swore she shook her head no but her eyes were getting heavy. "That's it sweetheart. You need to go to sleep." Eliot hummed softly and Faith's eyes fluttered and closed. Kissing her forehead he laid her down in her crib. Covering her up, he turned on the baby monitor and headed to his own bed.

"I hate you." Kenna said as he turned on the monitor next to the bed he pulled off his sweatshirt.

"Now if that were true you wouldn't have waited up for me." He leaned over and kissed her.

"How do you do it?" Kenna watched him as he got ready for bed.

"She just likes me better." He looked at her and raising his eyebrows.

"You know where the couch is Spencer." He sat on the bed and took his watch off and set it on the bedside table.

"You haven't seen me in three days darlin'." He got into bed and pulled the covers up over himself. "Your jonesing and you know it." Laying her head on his chest, she couldn't deny it. He held her close. "She just got used to you being around all the time she just needs a change a pace now and then."

"All I know is she sleeps for you." Kenna snuggled closer. "Get me up early…we have a work out. It's been to long since you could throw a good punch my direction."

"Why do you feel the need to beat the crap out of me?"

"Cause it turns both of us on." She said drowsily. Eliot smiled and ran his hand down her honey blond hair. He listened to her breathing even out and he knew that she was asleep. The three weeks since Faith had been born and things had become almost routine. When he was home the night shift was his. He needed a little more sleep then usual but hell he wasn't as young as he used to be. Closing his eyes he let the breathing coming over the monitor and the breathing against his chest lull him to sleep. Eliot Spencer, Retrieval Specialist was getting soft and damn if he didn't like it.


	2. Chapter 2

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Two

"You're dropping your left again Kenna." Eliot stepped into her right hook and grappled her to the ground before she could counter his move. "Stupidity will get you dead woman, you should know that by now." Kenna shook off the last take down and got up.

"I moved differently for the last few months, everything I do feels sluggish." Getting back into her stance she looked over Eliot's shoulder to focus on something besides his blue eyes. He moved forward and Kenna was countering his move before he even made it. She countered the next three moves but the forth had her laying on her back. "Bastard."

"Yeah well learn to look your opponent in the eye and not over his shoulder." He gave her his hand. Reaching for it she pulled all her weight into him and pulled him on top of her.

"Now maybe you should stop looking at my boobs and start looking me in the eye." She smiled.

"But baby they are some fine looking boobs." He bent over and kissed her. "And by the looks of it its nearly time for Faith to have breakfast." Kenna looked down and saw to wet spots surround her nipples.

"She's not the only one who does that to me." Kenna knocked his arm out from under him and he tumbled off of her. Kenna got up and offered Eliot a hand up.

"Thanks." He took her hand as they walked back to the apartment. "Why don't we let Hardison and Parker watch Faith for a couple of hours tonight and we do dinner. Just you and me."

"That sounds nice but maybe we should wait. Neither of them is really ready for more than a half hour alone with someone so tiny."

"Maybe we will wait for Nate and Sophie to get back." Eliot opened the door for her and they found Hardison holding Faith up in the air without a diaper on and Parker hysterically laughing trying to hand him a diaper.

"Definitely waiting for Nate and Sophie." Kenna headed for the shower. "You take care of this." Eliot shook his head and went to Hardison plucked his daughter out of the hacker's hands and grabbed the diaper from Parkers.

"Do I really want to know what the hell is going on?"

"Well Faith, she had to get changed and Alec started to change her and…well I guess she wasn't done." Parker smiled.

"Okay you two back to your own apartments." He carried Faith into her room and laid her down on her changing table. "I am so sorry for leaving you with those two. I swear they are some of the smartest people I know but they lost their common sense about five cons back." Eliot put a diaper on the little girl and got a clean pair of pajamas out of the drawer next to the table. Faith smiled at her father. "And if you told them I said that I will deny every single word." He picked her up and headed to the kitchen. He strapped her into her bouncy seat and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"You sent them to their rooms?" Kenna came out of the bedroom in her robe.

"Pretty much." He looked at her with her hair wet from the shower and he felt a tightening is his chest among other places. She had always made his heart skip a beat but lately she left him breathless when she walked into a room. Maybe it was the new curves she had since having Faith or maybe it was just the fact she was his.

"Something wrong Eliot?" She was looking at him, staring at her.

"Nothin's wrong." He handed her a cup of coffee. She sat at the counter and closed her eyes as she inhaled the coffee.

"No one makes coffee like you cowboy." Kenna took a long sip.

"When did you get so into your coffee?" He sat down next to her.

"McGarret got me hooked about six months after I joined the team. He would get these kicking flavors from all over and every morning he would make us a pot for briefing. He said it was a morale booster but I just think it was his one vice and he couldn't hide it from us."

"So I can blame McGarret for your caffeine addiction?"

"Better than blaming him for my sex addition." Eliot chuckled.

"I take full responsibility for that one?" He said. "I talked to Jodi last night and she wants to get together for Easter. It would be easier for you and me to go there then it would be for them to come here."

"True. Sounds like a plan. Should we see if Nate and the others want to come?"

"Easter isn't such a big holiday, I thought maybe; well it could just be us and Jodi's family." Kenna looked at him.

"Yeah, if that's what you want." Kenna took her coffee cup and got off the stool. "I'm going to get dressed." She tweaked Faith's toes as she walked by. "See you in a few minutes sweet pea." Eliot watched her go. Yeah, she was pissed. He got up and went to fill his cup.

"Faith, remind me to just nod and agree with your mama so I don't get my head bitten off, okay?" She smiled. "Glad you have my back sunshine." Kenna came back five minutes later in jeans and a t-shirt. "Big plans for today?"

"Nothing to exciting. Grocery shopping and I thought I would stop by the fire house and visit." The baby started to fuss. "You're welcome to join us." Kenna took the baby out of the seat and snuggled her close.

"Yeah, I'd like that." He watched her go to the living room and sit sown. She talked to Faith the whole time she got ready to nurse her. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"I can grab a bowl of cereal."

"Kenna…are we going to talk about this?"

"I'm not that hungry, cereal is fine."

"I mean about the trip to Kentucky." He wasn't sure he should push it but he wanted to clear the air.

"Eliot you don't have try to explain or make excuses. I understand." She looked at him. "I just…I feel more comfortable going in there with Nate and the others."

"Going in there? You mean visiting my mom and my sister?" He looked at her. "You're the one who forced them back into our lives Kenna, not me."

"Is that how you really see it? You have a family Eliot, one who's always been there for you and who's always loved you, no matter what." Kenna tensed and Faith felt it. She started to fuss. Taking a deep breath Kenna tried to calm herself.

"They're your family too." He said softly.

"No, they're not." Kenna looked down Faith. Her eyes were going to be blue. She knew by the intense way she watched her mother as she ate. They were Eliot's eyes. Looking up Eliot was standing next to her. He squatted down and looked her in the eye.

"Why would you say that?"

"I was just a stray that Jodi brought home, you loved her so you let me stay."

"Kenna…"

"Just let it go Eliot. If you want to take Faith to Kentucky, you can. She is your family." Kenna looked down at the little girl again. She was so beautiful. The year had been a dream to her. Having Eliot back in her life was almost worth all the pain she had endured in the years before.

"I'm not going without you Kenna. If you don't want to go, we don't have to." He looked at her. "Talk to me."

"There's nothing to talk about Eliot. I just don't think I want to see your family right now." He wasn't sure what he had said or done to make her feel that way. Nate had warned him that the mood swings she had while she was pregnant were going to pale in comparison to the ones she had after but man he was not expecting her to go all Linda Blair on him so early in the game.

"Finish feeding the baby and we'll talk about whatever it is that has a bur under your saddle." He stood and went back to the kitchen. Maybe he had to talk to Jodi before he started a fight he wasn't sure he wanted to have. Grabbing his phone off the charging pad he dialed his sister's number.

"Hello."

"He brat, how's that mother of four working out for you?" He heard her chuckle,

"It's a breeze. How are you doing daddy?"

"Good. Faith is amazing."

"I heard that about her. Sophie called last week and filled me. Hardison just sent me some pictures but I haven't had time to look at them."

"You haven't talked to Kenna?"

"Not for a couple of weeks. I thought maybe she was just busy."

"Yeah, I guess that happens."

"Eliot what's wrong?"

"I don't know. When I find out, I'll let you know."

"Hang on a second." She heard Jodi talking to Charlie. Leaning against the counter he watched Kenna. She slowly stroked Faith's brown locks as she nursed her. "Eliot, Charlie wants to talk to you."

"Sure."

"Hey, man how's it going?"

"It's going. How are you?"

"Okay, um I think I might have messed up. This morning Kenna called and Jodi was really busy."

"What did you say to her?"

"We we're talking about family and stuff and…Eliot I didn't think…"

"What the hell did you say Charlie?"

"I jokingly said that she still had a chance to turn tail and run that the Spencer's weren't really her family yet." Eliot closed his eyes. One slip, one little sentence said jokingly had messed up the last year of proving to Kenna that his family was her family. That they were all in this together. Not bothering to say goodbye Eliot hung up the phone. This was worse than he thought. He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. Mondays sucked.


	3. Chapter 3

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Three

Kenna laid Faith down in her crib and covered her. She stood there for a long time watching the little girl sleep. She couldn't face Eliot. Not yet. A million things were going through her head. She knew that she had always been a part of the Spencer family but maybe Charlie didn't know the whole story.

"You can't hide in here all day." Eliot stood at the door.

"I wasn't hiding. I was admiring." She adjusted the blanket. Eliot went and stood behind her.

"I know what Charlie said hurt your feelings."

"He didn't know what he was saying. I know that. I'm just all over the place lately." She leaned back against him. He ran his hands over her now flat stomach.

"Is it going to be a problem?"

"I don't know." She closed her eyes. "I feel safe here. With you and the others. I feel like I'm home."

"Mom, Jodie, Charlie and the kids are your family too."

"I don't have anyone to call my own."

"What about me and Faith?" Kenna bit her lip. "Kenna, no one's gonna take me or our daughter away from you, you know that." She wished she could believe him. Everyone was always leaving her. Sooner or later he would want nothing to do with her.

"I need some air." She pulled out of Eliot's arms and headed out the door. Eliot watched her leave. He wished he knew what to do to make her see that no matter what he would be there for her. Faith would be there. The day was getting worse by the minute. He went to grab his phone and try to make things right.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Thanks for coming home early." Eliot said as Nate sat next to him at the bar.

"It wasn't all that much fun anyway. Even Sophie was board shopping."

"I don't know what to do about Kenna."

"Maybe you should talk to her about seeing her doctor. We know she's borderline PTSD, along with the hormonal things going on she could be in a world a hurt we don't understand."

"I asked her and she said she was okay. I know that's not an answer I should live with but I don't know how I can force her to go."

"We'll work this out Eliot." Sophie said. "Why don't we take Faith for the night and you and Kenna go out and spend some time alone together?"

"Thanks, I didn't want to leave Faith with Parker and Hardison. They watched her for an hour this morning and all hell broke loose."

"Everything will be okay Eliot." Nate patted him on the shoulder. Kenna came into the bar with Faith in her car seat.

"I didn't think you guys were going to be home till tomorrow." She hugged both Nate and Sophie.

"I figured we have cases backing up so we'd get an early start tomorrow." Nate smiled at Faith. "Hey there sunshine." Kenna handed Nate the car seat and let him a Sophie say hello to her.

"You ready to go?" Kenna stood next to Eliot.

"Yeah. Nate and Sophie asked if we wanted to go to dinner tonight, they would watch Faith." Kenna looked at him.

"They just got back."

"We want to Kenna, please." Sophie looked at her.

"I guess if you really want to." Kenna watched Nate talking to Faith.

"We really want to Kenna." Nate said. He looked up. "Spend some time with each other. Things are going to be crazy around here for the next few weeks and I don't know when you'll get another chance like this." Smiling he turned back to Faith. "Uncle Nate and Auntie Sophie brought you presents…yes we did." The baby smiled. "Every little girl love presents, don't they Faith."

"Wow, Nate…this side of you is really…" Eliot looked at the older man.

"Scary?" Parker said as she walked up to them.

"I was going to say new, but yeah, it is a bit unnerving." Eliot chuckled. "Okay we got things to do. We'll be back later." He put on his coat and helped Kenna with hers. Hugging her close as he grabbed the car seat and lead her out the door, hoping by the end of the day she would be back to feeling like part of something.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"Where do you want to go for dinner?" Eliot asked Kenna as they walked through the produce aisle.

"Where ever you want." She answered.

"Kenna, really aren't we a little old to play this game?"

"What game would that be?"

"The one where you act like your two." He went and checked out the vegetables. Kenna pushed the cart behind him.

"Fine, Pigalle's then."

"See, that wasn't hard now, was it?" He put some tomatos in the cart. He looked over at her and she didn't seem very happy. "If you don't want to leave Faith, I understand. It's only been three weeks darlin'."

"No, maybe if I get out I won't feel like the whole world is closing in on me." She said, but she didn't look at him. She kept looking at the sleeping baby in front of her.

"I'm sorry you're feeling that way." His hand moved to the small of her back. "I wish I knew what to do to make things better."

"It's not a problem you can solve." She moved away from him and walked slowly down the aisle. They finished their shopping in silence and headed to the fire station. Eliot parked the truck in front and helped Kenna out. He unbuckled Faith and took her out.

"Do you know if Jack is back yet?" Eliot asked her.

"Desk duty." The cold front was really getting old. Eliot brought the baby into the firehouse and let Kenna's friends coo over the child. He took the keys out of his pocket and handed them to her.

"I'm going to walk home. Just call when you get home and I'll come get the groceries."

"Eliot, no please." She held his hand as he handed her the keys. "Don't go." Stepping back she held his hand. "Please, don't go." Eliot didn't know if she meant from the firehouse or from her life. The tone of her voice made him think the later.

"We're going to talk about your attitude at length at dinner tonight." He said between clenched teeth.

"Just stay with me." She said, her voice shaking.

"I'm here." He told her. Faith began to fuss and the men milling around the child became a little uncomfortable. Jake had come out of the office and greeted both of them.

"We really miss you around here Kenna." He told her as he bent down and took Faith out of her seat and held her. Eliot knew their fragile peace was going to short lived but he would enjoy it while it lasted.

"I miss you guys too. When are you and Angie going to settle down and start having a few kids?"

"That girls too wild to have babies." Jake smiled and tickled Faith under the chin. Eliot looked at Kenna. Could that be the reason she was feeling less then confident with her place in his life? Maybe she hadn't felt ready to put the past behind her yet. But she had married that looser hadn't she. She had been ready to settle with him.

"She doesn't know what she's missing." Kenna smiled.

"Sleepless nights and endless worries, I think she might have the right idea." Jake answered. "She doesn't seem to worse for wear after her little adventure in a flying ambulance."

"Nope, we're all good." Jake looked at Eliot. He could see that things weren't all good.

"Glad to here that. Bob's doing good. He went home last week. The plow driver isn't doing so hot. The city said they didn't know he was on OT that night."

"How could they not know?" Eliot asked.

"That's what we all would like to know. The minute we hit thirty nine and three quarters around here, red flags pop up all over Boston." Eliot hadn't really thought much about the accident. All he had cared about was that they had all walked away from it virtually unscathed.

"So do you think this guy was working off the books?"

"Either that or he was so punch drunk from exhausted he forgot to punch in." Jake pinched Faith's cheeks softly. "You my dear need a diaper change and I am not qualified." He handed the baby to Kenna. She headed to find a flat surface to change her daughter on. "I kinda know what you do Eliot. Not for me, for Bob and maybe the driver of that plow maybe you can look into what went on that night. I know the roads were hell and it took the whole crew to keep caught up. We got off easy." Eliot looked at Jake. He had been a friend to Kenna since she first got to Boston and had been someone he could easily like if he was in the market for a new friend.

"You said the plow driver was in bad shape?"

"More mental than physical. When he heard there was a new born baby and her parents in the rig he kind of had a meltdown. He was on his eighteenth hour of work Eliot. I know that it doesn't seem like hard work but most these guys are sanitation guys during the day so when you have to plow all night long on top of your normal pickups it gets to be a long day."

"I can see where it would be. I'll talk to my boss about it. See what we can do."

"Much appreciate." Jack saw Kenna coming back. "I have to get back to work, it was nice seeing you guys." He waved to Kenna. "I hope you decide to come back to the real world and come back to work."

"I just might take you up on that offer." Kenna placed Faith back in her car seat.

"Do you really want to come back to work here?" Eliot asked. She looked up at him.

"I guess I'll have to see. Not that I don't like working with you but how practical is it going to be with a baby?"

"I guess I hadn't much about that." He put Faith in the truck and helped Kenna in. She was getting tired. He was going to make sure she took a nap before they went out tonight.

"Thank you for not leaving me there alone. I know your pissed Eliot but I will work this all out. I promise."

"You don't have to do it alone darlin'."

"Maybe I don't have too but I may need to." She looked at him. "Eliot…" They pulled in front of the apartment building. "Just promise me you'll…you'll still…"

"Kenna, I love you now and I'll love you till the day I die." He leaned over and kissed her. Getting out of the truck Kenna sensed something. She looked around.

"Eliot, take Faith up the front steps." She got out of the truck.

"Kenna…"

"Do it Eliot. Tell Nate and the others to stay put." She put her ear bud in and went down the steps to the bar. "US Marshals." Kenna said.

"What the hell?" Eliot took the baby and headed upstairs.

"Let me deal with this. I'm the only one here who's face hasn't been on the FBI's most wanted at one time or another."

"Don't be stupid Kenna."

"I'm not." She walked into the bar."All of you just stay put." Kenna turned off her com and headed to the bar. Her eyes scanned the bar. She couldn't put her finger on the marshals.

"McKenna Hawks, as I live and breathe." Kenna turned finding a tall, blond, scruffy man standing behind her.

"Jimmy Godfrey, oh man it's been too long." She threw herself at the man and he hugged her close. She stepped back and looked at him. "Civilian live has been good for you."

"I can say the same. I wouldn't of recognized you if McGarret hadn't of told me this is where you were."

"You talked to McGarret?"

"Yeah, I needed to see you."

"It's been a long time Jimmy."

"I know. I left the teams and I just needed the space. You knew that better than anyone." He looked at her. She nodded.

"So the US Marshal's was your out?"

"How…I forgot you had a knack for knowing things."

"Yeah, can I buy you drink?"

"Yeah." Kenna motioned to the bartender.

"Scotch on the rocks and ginger ale Mike."

"You got it."

"Ginger Ale?" Kenna smiled.

"Yeah, keeping away from the hard stuff." She handed him is drink and lead him to a table in the back.

"You hang out here a lot drinking ginger ale?"

"Yeah, that's my thing now." They sat down in a booth.

"How things have changed." He smiled. He was always the one with a witty comeback for everything. "I need your help."

"Wow, you asking for help. That's new."

"It's my thing now."

(In Nate's Apartment)

"Get the feed down in the bar Hardison." Eliot growled.

"I'm trying." The hackers fingers were flying over the keys. "Can't we just send Parker down?"

"Kenna said to stay up here." Eliot looked at Sophie holding Faith. "Just get the feed.

(Back In The Bar)

"I'm tracking a serial rapist."

"That's my problem why?"

"You know him." Kenna looked at Jimmy.

"He's out?"

"For six days." Kenna closed her eyes.

"I tracked him through six countries Jimmy."

"You got him Kenna and he was supposed to be gone for good."

"What happened?"

"Prison break in Galveston."

"Why do you need me?"

"He's coming after you."

"Jimmy…he can't. He doesn't even know who I am." He handed her a file.

"We found this in his cell." It was a file of her. Or at least the her up to a year ago when she took back her life.

"He knows nearly all of my cover story."

"I talked to some of his friends in prison. He was going to start in Colorado."

"So he's starting from scratch."

"Kenna…" She pushed her hair behind her ear and turned on her ear bud.

"Not now. It's been seven years. Seven damn years I covered my tracks."

"We can protect you Kenna."

"I have people to protect me." She looked at him.

"Kenna I know you got a thrill going dark side for awhile but you need to know this guy means business." Kenna took a deep breath.

"Don't you think I know that?" She took a drink of her soda, the ring on her left hand made the man sitting across from her tense.

"You've really settled here?" Kenna looked at him.

"Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"Yeah, I am. I have a three week old daughter." Jimmy raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, those are words I never thought I would hear come out of your mouth." Kenna looked at her old friend. "You were always the one who swore they would never settle."

"I don't see it as settling." She said defensively.

"Hey, I didn't mean anything by it." He touched her hand. "Who's the guy?"

"Someone I thought I'd lost." Jimmy looked her in the eye.

"Does he treat you right?" Kenna saw Eliot standing in the door way between the bar and the poker room.

"He's amazing." She said softly. "He loves me and Faith without reservation. Without asking for anything in return."

"Then why do you sound like you want to be anywhere but here." Jimmy looked her in the eye.

"Because people like Mark Costello keep standing in my way of finding what I need." She nodded to Eliot. "I want my team to back me up and you stay out of their backgrounds and the way I do business." Jimmy watched as Eliot came up to them. "Eliot Spencer, Jimmy Godfrey."

"You have a weakness for Jimmy's?" Eliot didn't look at her. He kept his eyes on the marshal sitting two feet away from him.

"Kinda." The blond man looked confused.

"I can't officially or unofficially ask you to do this but I just needed you to be aware of the possible threat."

"You flew all the way from Texas to tell me what a phone call could of taken care of."

"I wanted to see you." He said fondly. "I missed you Kenna." Standing, Jimmy looked at the two people in front of him. "Get him up to speed on Costello and then we'll talk." He dropped a card on the table and left the bar.

"Should I be worried?"

"About what?" Kenna looked at the card and ran her hand over the raised letterhead.

"That I may have to fight to save my family." Kenna looked up sharply and saw the one thing she never thought she would live to see. There was fear in Eliot's eyes. Fear of losing her and losing his child to a fate worse than death. He could almost bare them dying before he could bare losing them to another man.


	4. Chapter 4

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Four

"Mark Costello was fourteen when he raped his first girl." Kenna sat on the stool in front of the big screen. A dewy young man with a killer smiled was on the screen. "Her name was Rebecca Riddler. She was twelve." Kenna looked at the other five people in the room. "Over the next ten years forty women were raped and, or murdered by Costello." Pictures of young women popped up on the screen. "None over twenty four. All single, blond and no family to call their own so a lot of the women went weeks without being reported missing."

"How did you get pulled into the investigation?" Eliot asked.

"He was a seal." Kenna pulled up his service record. "He started changing his MO when he was shipped to Iraq, making it look like they were killed by insurgents or worse. His file came across McGarret's desk eight years ago. He looked good on paper so he asked me and another officer to sit in on the evaluation. He passed with flying colors." Kenna pulled up the next file. "Until he started stalking me." It was pictures of her all over the base and out among civilians. "We found these pictures after we found out he was a killer." Eliot looked at them. It was the Kenna he remembered from all those years ago. Maybe a little harder but still his Kenna. She was at a bar, dancing with Godfrey. Leaning in talking to him in the mess hall. Jogging. The man had been following her for a long time.

"How long did he follow you?" Eliot growled out.

"Weeks before his interview but Jimmy Godfrey, you met him downstairs Eliot, he got a really bad vibe after the meeting. He went over the video and saw that the man's eyes never left me. He answered McGarret's questions and made eye contact but I was standing behind him. He was looking at me more than he was the man who held his future seal duties in the palm of his hands."

"So how did you find out he was a serial rapist?" Nate watched Kenna tense.

"We got back from a mission; we were all tired and pretty much hatin' life when we go home. Godfrey and McGarret had some paper work to finish up and I wasn't waitin' around for them so I headed home. The barracks were only behind the office so I headed to the shower and to catch up on the sleep I hadn't had in three days." She looked at the people standing around her. "He was waiting for me." Kenna saw the flash in Eliot's eyes. "He didn't hurt me." She looked him in the eye. "Much." She added.

"The scar on your hip?" Eliot said softy. The one place she didn't like to be touched. He noticed her southern girl drawl became more evident when she tensed.

"Yeah, I turned and rolled away from him and he got me with his knife." She changed the picture. "He heard voices and ran. Not before I had his DNA under my finger nails and my knee was firmly planted in his crotch."

"So you and the team went after him?" Sophie looked at the mug shot.

"Yeah. NCIS couldn't find him. The FBI couldn't track him down. Interpol didn't give a damn. We tagged him in six countries spanning three continents. We finally caught up to him in Canada of all places. He spent three weeks in a hospital after a car accident. That's how we found him. The son of a bitch still ran. We chased him across Ottawa. Jimmy finally cornered him in a coffee shop. I had to pull him off of the bastard."

"How many of the rapes was he convicted of?" Nate asked.

"Twenty seven. His attack on me alone gave him life because of the severity of the attack and the fact that I was military personal. He was going to be put to death but Texas has been backlogged for years with injunctions and whatever from every human rights activist to his mama pleading that he's her last living relative." Kenna handed Hardison the remote and went to take Faith, who had started fussing from the small cradle that Nate had at his apartment. She held the baby close and closed her eyes. She wanted all this to be over so she could get back to her life. A life she was almost afraid to get comfortable with. "He's coming after me. I was the one who got away and he's not leaving loose ends."

"We won't let this guy near you Kenna." Parker watched her friend.

"Thanks." She smiled. "I'm going to change and feed Faith then I will call Jimmy so he can get us up to speed." Heading to Nate's spare room she didn't look back because if she did she would see the anger and pain in Eliot's eyes.

"Do you need some time Eliot?" Nate looked at him.

"No, I'm good." He looked at his boss. "This guy isn't our kind of trouble Nate so I understand if you want to back off."

"Kenna's family, Eliot. Her fight is our fight." Nate answered without reservation.

"Thank you. You all can back out of this now and I wouldn't blame you."

"Not an option." Parker boosted herself on the desk.

"I'm with the blond." Hardison looked at Eliot. "No way would we leave Kenna blowing in the wind."

"Well it's unanimous then." Sophie said.

"I really appreciated it guys." He looked at the closed bedroom door.

"Go be with her. We'll work things from our end and will see what Godfrey needs when he gets here." Nate told him.

"Thanks." Eliot knocked on the door.

"Come in." Her voice was soft and horse.

"Hey darlin'." She was sitting in the rocker Nate had put in the room especially for times like this. "How are you doing?" He sat on the foot stool in front of her.

"I'm doing okay." Eliot watched his daughter nurse. She was so beautiful. They both were sitting in the dimly lit room slowly rocking.

"We're you ever going to tell me about this guy?"

"Costello was supposed to die. He was never going to see the outside of a prison in his lifetime." She leaned back and closed her eyes. "He should of never been able to live this long."

"We'll have him back behind bars before you know it." He ran his hand over Faith's brown locks. "We're still having dinner tonight."

"Eliot…"

"No Kenna, we need this. I know you think it's all gonna work itself out but baby we need time. Faith is going to be our world for the rest of our lives but we gotta live too." He smiled. "And I want you all to myself for a few hours." Kenna smiled and changed sides. The whole process amazed Eliot to no end. He reached over and redid the hook on the side she had just finished. His touch on her breast made her shiver.

"Thanks." Eliot sat there and watched her. She didn't feel uncomfortable at all. The only time he ever made her feel that way was when she had been crushing on him all those years ago and he talked to her about the girls he was dating.

"I love you." He said softly.

"We love you too Eliot. No matter what I know that." Eliot knew that the demons she was running from were all too real for her. He needed to know if there was any more ready to steal her happiness. "Do you want to take her and I'll call Jimmy." Nodding, Eliot took Faith and the burp rag and headed back out to the office. Kenna refastened her bra and fixed her shirt as she dialed Jimmy.

"Hello."

"Apartment 2A. My team isn't under investigation and when it's over you lose my number."

"That's a little cold even for you Kenna."

"Yeah well trouble follows you around like a bad suit Godfrey and I'm not in the business of cleaning up your messes anymore." She hung up and stood. Taking a deep breath she headed out into the living room to join the others.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Ten minutes later there was a knock at the door. Kenna went and opened it. Jimmy was standing with a petite blond woman.

"Kenna Hawks, my partner Annie Frost." Kenna nodded and let them in.

"Parker, Alec, Nate, Sophie and Eliot…Annie Frost and Jimmy Godfrey." Kenna lead them to the middle of the room. "Now that everyone knows everyone tell me what you have on Costello." Jimmy handed her a file and she passed it to Hardison. He scanned in within a minute and had up on the screen.

"You've gone a little high tech Hawks."

"Gotta keep up with the Joneses." She looked at the screen. Nate came next to her.

"Tell us about the prison brake." Nate told Jimmy.

"He'd been working on a tunnel for years. They went to give him his hour yard time and he was gone. No one had checked on him in three hours. No one saw him get into a vehicle or walking. He just disappeared into thin air."

"So he had a three hour head start. How do you know he's coming after Kenna?"

"Can you pull up the file I gave Kenna?" Jimmy asked Hardison.

"You got it." The file was up. "He had a list of all the aliases she used when she was undercover for the team and a few that we didn't know about." He looked at her with a frown. "I don't know how he got them and not her real name but he doesn't know these women are McKenna Shane Hawks."

"Do you know that for sure?" Eliot looked at the man.

"If he did, he would have tried something by now." Jimmy looked at the file on the screen. "He was spotted in Denver last night but slipped by a dumb ass security guard."

"Kalli Preston." Kenna looked over the alias. "She hated the cold but her job transferred her from Albuquerque and she didn't have any say in it."

"So he checked if you went back to this life?" Parker asked.

"No, his looking for the connection." Eliot said. "He knows that you have a medical back ground. He knows that you we're military."

"He's checking the base hospitals." Jimmy looked at Eliot. "Any good soldier who goes into hiding would stay as far away from a military base but not if you wanted to stay connected." Jimmy turned to Kenna.

"Every city I moved to was within a hundred miles of an active military base." Kenna took a deep breath. "I may have gone dark side but I still had ties to the teams."

"You never lost touch with McGarret." Eliot said. Kenna nodded.

"The only way to contact him was using my creds to get on base." Kenna looked at the time line. "Jackson Mississippi will be his next stop."

"We got three teams headed there now." She turned to Jimmy.

"Someone sold me out Jimmy. Someone who didn't know me, only my aliases." Faith began to fuss and Eliot picked her up out of her cradle. Jimmy turned and looked at the man holding the baby.

"You forgot to introduce us to someone." Kenna looked at Eliot.

"That's Faith." Jimmy smiled.

"She's a beauty."

"Thanks." She turned back to the screen. "I want to know who it was."

"Kenna…"

"I know it wasn't McGarret but there were people coming in and out of the teams office around the time I was attacked. The personal files were kept off site but my aliases were in files in McGarret's desk."

"I can get the files of the civilians and military personal that were working the base office at the time." Jimmy said.

"Do it fast, I want to find this guy and get him back to the super max ASAP."

"You and me both." Hardison handed Jimmy back his files. "Call me in the morning and I'll tell you what I find in Jackson."

"Thanks." She walked her old friend and his partner to the door. "I appreciate you coming and telling me yourself Jimmy." She hugged him.

"Are you sure you don't want a detail?"

"I think he can handle a little old serial rapist." Kenna looked at Eliot holding Faith.

"It looks like he's got two girls who have him wrapped around their fingers." Jimmy smiled. "You deserve all the happiness in the world and I'm sorry that it got messed up."

"No one knew how psycho this guy was going to get." Kenna bit her bottom lip. "I'll talk to you in the morning." She closed the door before he could say another word. Leaning against it she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"You okay?" Eliot stood in front of her holding Faith.

"Yeah." She touched Eliot's cheek and then Faiths unruly hair. "Dinner is sounding better and better. I'm going upstairs to pump as much as I can because mama needs a big glass of wine." Eliot smiled. "Do you want me to take her?"

"Naa, I got her. You got do what you have to do to get ready for tonight." He shifted the baby to his right arm and with his left hand on Kenna's neck he pulled her into a long deep slow kiss. He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled. "I'll be up to help you with any zippers or snaps that might need fastenin'." Kenna smiled.

"There was a time when all you wanted to do id unfasten my zippers and snaps." She whispered.

"Oh darlin' you don't how badly I would love to unfasten a thing or two but I'm willing to wait till the doctor says it's okay for us to start up those work outs again." He kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you too." Eliot watched her walk out of the apartment. Faith fussed a little and he adjusted her in his arms.

"Daddy better do some fast takin' tonight darlin' or your mama might be on the next thing smoken' out of Boston headed God knows where." He kissed the little girls head and went back to join the team's strategy session.


	5. Chapter 5

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Five

Kenna looked into the mirror and let out a deep breath. Even with the sleep she got last night she still looked like she needed about three more days in bed. Now with Costello out of prison and tracking her down, sleep would be the last thing she would be getting till he was caught. Taking off her t-shirt and bra, sliding her jeans off she threw them in the hamper and got into the shower. Letting the water cascade over her body she relaxed a little. She was going to have a good dinner and maybe she could talk Eliot into finding a movie they could just get lost in for a couple of hours.

"You need any help in there?" Eliot stepped into the bathroom.

"Can't clean dirty mind Spencer." Kenna replied. He chuckled.

"This is true." The shower door opened and Eliot stepped in. "I hope you don't mind the company."

"When have I ever turned down a shower buddy?" Kenna replied. She felt his hands on her hair. God she loved the feel of his hands running through it. His hands anywhere on her person sent chills down her spine.

"I want tonight to prove to you that you're not alone in this world Kenna Shane." He lathered up her hair and massaged her scalp. "You have people who love you and are so glad you are in their lives. That includes my mom and Jodi." His fingers moved though her hair, sending those chills he always caused down her spine. "You and Sophie saved Nate from drinkin' himself to death. You made Parker realize that friends are a good thing to have. You made Hardison see that Parker was the one thing in the world he couldn't hack but he could love her just the same." Eliot hands moved to her shoulders and turned her around to look at him. "And you made me believe that good things can happen even if you've done bad things in your life. You gave me the most incredible gift by giving birth to the most beautiful little girl in the world. Our child Kenna. That makes us a family. Your family." He moved her under the spray and rinsed her hair. Pulling her back he put his hand on her neck and pulled in for a kiss. Parting her lips with his tongue he deepened it holding her body close to his. Kenna clung to him pulling them both under the warm stream of water. It was a long time before they broke apart. The water turning cool finally made the decision for them.

"I guess we better get out before we miss our reservations." She looked at him.

"I would love to say screw the reservations right now but I know that's not an option." His hand slid down her body and stopped at her hip just above the jagged seven inch scare. "Why didn't you ever tell me how it happened?"

"You would have been angry, and then hurt, then you would have felt guilty about not being able to protect me even though you were a million miles away and couldn't have done anything to stop it." His hand moved down and he kissed her as he ran his hand over the old wound. It was the first time in a year she hadn't pushed his hand away.

"What other secrets have you been keepin' from me Kenna?"

"Maybe that's a discussion for another time." She stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. "I promise it's not as bad as it sounds." Kenna whispered. She left him to finish his shower and think maybe he better leave now before things get more complicated.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Eliot helped Kenna out of the car.

"You look beautiful." He whispered in her ear as he took the ticket from the valet.

"Your just saying that 'cause you think you might get somewhere with me tonight."

"I'm I getting close?"

"Maybe." He opened the door. He lead her to the maitra'd.

"Eliot…long time no see." The young woman smiled.

"Hey Bethany." He smiled and hugged the leggy red head. "How's your dad?"

"Good. He's moving to Florida next month." She smiled.

"I'm sorry, Kenna this is Bethany…we helped her dad get some money from a dirty hedge fund guy a couple of years back. Bethany this is Kenna, my fiancé." The woman's smile got bigger if that was possible.

"Congratulations. A bottle of our best on me." She led them to a corner table. Handing them the menu's after they sat down the woman motioned to the waiter.

"Thanks Bethany." Eliot told the young woman.

"Enjoy your dinner." Bethany talked to the waiter and he went to fetch the wine.

"Thank you." Kenna smiled and picked up the menu.

"Your itchin' to say something woman, so say it." Eliot hissed.

"I like her." Was all she said.

"On the contrary of what Parker and Hardison have told you, I have not slept with every woman in the greater Boston area." He growled.

"I just said I liked her, that's all."

"What about you and Godfrey?"

"Me and Jimmy?" She looked over the menu.

"Yeah, you and Jimmy." The waiter brought out the wine and poured them both a glass and left.

"We were friends. No more, no less."

"That's not how he was looking at you." She put down the menu.

"How was he looking at me Eliot?" Sitting back she waited for an answer.

"Like he regretted everything that he did to push you away." Eliot continued to study a menu he practically knew by heart.

"How would you know what that look looks like?" Kenna pushed his menu down. He looked up, his eyes icy blue.

"Because it is the same look I had on my face that day you left my apartment last year." He pulled the menu back up. The waiter came up to the table.

"Is the wine to your liking?" Neither had even picked up their glass. Eliot swirled his in his glass and took a sip.

"Excellent as always Clive." His eyes never left Kenna's.

"Are you ready to order?" The young man looked nervous.

"I'll have the seared sea bass with the braised purple cabbage." Kenna said without looking at the waiter.

"Roasted sirloin, rare." Handing Clive the menus and the man left. "Didn't you know he had feelings for you?" Looking at him she smiled.

"You do remember what I told you about my love life prior to two thousand eight, right?"

"You said you dated some. Just because you didn't sleep with him doesn't mean there wasn't something there. I saw those pictures Costello took when he was following you."

"Jimmy was my friend."

"So was I." He leaned forward. "And look at me now." Smiling he took her hand. "You really didn't see that he was falling for you?"

"Jimmy was like my brother. He was always riding me to push harder and not back down."

"Sounds familiar."

"Really." She pulled her hand from his. "Jimmy helped me through a rough time and maybe I knew he wanted more but I wasn't ready. He never pushed and I never gave him any reason to think that I wanted more than his friendship."

"He helped you through the attack?"

"No, I pretty much became an ice berg after the attack." She sat back. "I shut all of them out." Honesty was what he wanted honesty was what he was going to get. "McGarret picked me straight out of basic training. I was his golden child. I trained harder, ran farther, shot better and fought dirtier than any recruit he'd ever see. I was twenty and angry at the world."

"Maybe you and I are more alike than I've giving your credit for." He said softly.

"Maybe." She leaned forward and put her elbows on the table and looked at him. "I still hadn't gotten over a lot of my family issues, my abandonment issues or my love for the guy who stole my heart when I was fourteen and left me two years later." Taking a sip of her wine to gather what she was going to say next, Kenna looked up. "The team went into someplace we never should have been. McGarret and I went back to clean up and we we're ambushed."

"Kenna…" She held up her hand.

"You wanted to know. I got away but McGarret…he got blindsided and they took him prisoner. I hid out in the jungle and followed them to their camp. I was one person and no one knew where we were. The team had left because we had wounded."

"They just left the two of your alone in a hostile environment?" Kenna knew that Eliot would be angry. He was right about them being more alike than anyone could have guessed.

"Pretty much. Jimmy was back at the base camp but that was over a hundred miles from where we ended up. He informed the brass we were MIA but with the countries unstable political views there was no way they could send in a rescue party. I hid out and planned an escape. McGarret was put through the ringer in the week it took me to set everything into motion. It was a wonder we got him out at all."

"You were MIA for over a week and the Navy didn't send any one in to extract you?"

"Technically we didn't exist so how do you send an extraction team to extract ghosts?" The waiter brought them their dinners. Kenna smiled at the waiter. "Thank you." The man left looking almost miserable. "Did you do something to the waiter?"

"Ahhh, no." He poured Kenna another glass of wine, noticing she had finished her first glass.

"His sister?" She smiled.

"Why do you always think a woman is involved?"

"Because with you there always is."

"You're the only woman I've had any kind of 'involvement' with in over a year Kenna. I was having a really bad day and I stopped in to get something to go and the kid messed up my order and then nearly tipped my bike on top of me when he came running out with my replacement order. I might have growled at him but that's it." Kenna smiled.

"Leave him a big tip to make up for your sunny disposition." Kenna sipped her wine.

"You're changing the subject sweetheart."

"It took us another three days to make it back to the base camp. McGarret was in bad shape and I kinda went ballistic. I had my bags packed and I was gone. I could deal with a lot of things but loosing another…loosing McGarret would send me off the deep end." She took a bite of her fish. "Jimmy found me at the bar. I was already so far gone he was going to take me to the base hospital. He took out the bartender for serving me in the condition I was in. Bastard stuck his finger down my throat to get me to throw up." It had taken her a long time to forgive Jimmy for that one.

"Did you ever think you he might have had a little bit more than big brother feelings for you?"

"He treated me like anyone else. He treated me like you did." Eliot knew that he had hid his feelings well from Kenna but she had to have know that he had loved her even back them. They had discussed it in length over the past year.

"Is that is a bad thing?"

"No, he pulled me back into the fold. Got me cleaned up and told me that McGarret wouldn't want to see me in the condition I was in when he pulled me out of that bar. For the next week he pushed me hard. He took me to see McGarret every morning and made me run ten miles back to the barracks. It almost killed me but it straitened me out."

"Maybe some PT is in order now. Maybe it would make your realize that this isn't some short term deal we've worked out between us."

"Do you know what you're saying?"

"I'm saying I want to spend the rest of my life doing what we've been doing for the last year minus the daily fight over whether or not I'm in this for the haul or not." He downed his wine and Clive was there to pour him another glass.

"What about those other women?" She said. The young waiter's hand began to shake. Setting the bottle down on the table he turned tail and practically ran back to the kitchen.

"I think he's afraid of your now too." Eliot chuckled. "Kenna those women you're so afraid I'm going to leave you for meant nothing to me. They were just distractions. Something to get lost in when I didn't want to deal with the things I'd done in my life."

"So you got lost in the sex, I get that." She looked at him.

"Kenna…"

"I understand Eliot."

"No, you don't get it and if you understood you would stop bringing it up. I fucked up. I messed with my best friend and I felt guiltier then any man had a right to feel. Yeah maybe I thought other women would make me forget but darlin' they didn't. Between leaving Kentucky and you showing up on my doorstep last year I've had one hell of a guilt trip." Kenna could feel the air in the room change. He hadn't raised his voice or changed his tone but his southern drawl thickened. "Ya never even thought the whole thing through, did ya?"

"I guess I didn't really care about anything for a long time." She said softly. He took her hand and held it.

"We can't let either of us feel that way again." Kenna knew he was right.

"And I promise to share everything I can with you about the time we were apart."

"Just as long as there are no serial rapists and Icelandic drug lords in our future." They lifted their glasses.

"Amen to that." They ate quietly for a few minutes before Kenna talked again. "Do you want to see a movie after dinner?"

"We could rent one and take it home." Eliot offered.

"You're missing her too?" He smiled.

"Yeah, kinda." Kenna laughed. "Let's finish up and go home to our little girl. I'm sure Hardison can get us anything we want to watch and no lines."

"Oh but what about the popcorn?" Kenna really loved movie popcorn.

"I'll stop at the Cineplex and pick up a bucket." He motioned to Clive for the check. He left it on the table and Bethany come and put her hand on Eliot's shoulder.

"Did you enjoy your dinner?" She asked smiling.

"Tell Marc it was amazing as usual."

"Can I get you two desert?" Eliot took out his wallet.

"We have to get home. It's the first time we left the baby with a sitter." Kenna answered. She tried to hate the red head but it was really getting hard to.

"Baby? You told me about getting married but you have a baby too? Pictures?" Eliot pulled one out from his wallet.

"Oh, Eliot, Kenna she's amazing. What's her name?"

"Faith Valentine." Eliot said proudly.

"That is beautiful." She handed the picture back to Eliot. He put it back and took out some bills and put them in the black sleeve.

"Tell Clive to keep it." He told her. Getting up he helped Kenna with her coat.

"Thank you for the wine Bethany, it was perfect." Kenna said.

"I thought you'd like. It was my mother's favorite." She smiled.

"It was amazing." Kenna told her. "Thank you for sharing it with us."

"Next time bring Nate and the others. I would love to see them."

"We will." Eliot hugged her and they headed for the door.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You really didn't need to stop at the movie theater Eliot."

"You'd think no one ever wanted to buy popcorn from the place before." Kenna smiled as Eliot unlocked the door. Nate and Sophie were sitting at the counter playing cribbage.

"You two are home early." Sophie smiled.

"Eliot got us kicked out of the movie theater." Kenna joked. "We were so ready to come home after dinner."

"You missed Faith?" Nate smiled.

"Yeah." Eliot said. "How was she?"

"A little demanding but we tag teamed her and it all worked out. She ate a half hour ago and went straight to bed." Nate gathered his cribbage board. "We'll let you finish date night before she decides to cut her nap short."

"Goodnight." Sophie said as Nate pushed her out the door.

"Wow, they sure were in a hurry."

"I think they figured we came home early they should leave early." Eliot helped her out of her coat. "You get comfortable and I'll have Hardison pull up some movies for us." He kissed her cheek.

"Okay, don't be long." She headed into the bedroom and changed into her jogging pants, tank top and flannel shirt. She grabbed two beers from the fridge and settled on the couch. Eliot came in a few minutes later and went to change. He came back and settled in with his beer and popcorn. Kenna snuggled close. "What did you get?"

"I don't know but the word epic was used several times." He flipped on the TV.

"The new Fast and Furious? No way." Eliot smiled.

"He said you'd be putty in my hands if I watched this with you."

"Hardison rocks. And I already am." Starting the movie Eliot pulled Kenna close. The watched quietly for nearly half the movie before Kenna's eyes got wide when she reached for a hand full of popcorn. "Eliot Spencer, you're a pervert." She smiled. He looked at her.

"Me?" He said innocently. "You're the one with your hands on me." Eliot said chuckling. Sometime between the previews and the middle of the movie, Eliot had slipped parts of his anatomy through a hole in the popcorn bucket. "You owe me Hawks." He said hoarsely. She couldn't deny it…or him. Removing the bucket she had no problem pleasing his buttery goodness.


	6. Chapter 6

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Six

"We get Costello and you're on the next flight back to Texas Jimmy."

"How much have you told him?" The man looked over her shoulder. Eliot was sitting in the corner with Nate and Sophie, Faith in her seat next to him.

"Enough." She hissed.

"You know between your hacker friend and Spencer's connections this all could go south whether you like it to or not kid."

"Yee of little faith."

"You never played the game this close to the vest Hawks. It's getting too dangerous." Jimmy looked down at her. "You need to pull the plug."

"I haven't done what I came to do Jimmy."

"You've gone and had a kid with the guy Kenna, it's not like you can cut and run." Eliot was glaring his way and Jimmy was feeling very uncomfortable. "You need to come clean and see if he's still willing to keep you around."

"I told him enough to test the waters and he's still on my side."

"Will he still be that way when he finds out the things that you haven't told him?" Jimmy raised his eyebrows. "Think about it Kenna. You make his criminal career look like Martha Stewarts and he's pissed of Myanmar for God sake. Hell all five of your friends put together have a better chance of stayin' out of hell than you do."

"I have never lied to him about what I've done."

"But not telling him is going to make it worse when he finds what you've been up to from someone else." Kenna turned and looked at Eliot.

"I'm not leaving." She said as she turned back to him. "I have to stay." Jimmy looked at her. He knew she wouldn't come back after her loose ends had been tied with Spencer. She had always done things her way and now wasn't going to be any different.

"So you go on living this lie till a new one is better suited for you."

"This is the end of the road Jimmy. I clear this team and I'm staying if they will let me."

"Ford doesn't like a liar."

"I didn't lie. I came to fix them. Fix things with Eliot and make sure they can continue doing what they are doing without consequences."

"You can't save people who don't want to be saved Kenna. Don't go outsmarting your common sense girl."

"They wouldn't be doing what they are doing if they didn't want to be saved." Kenna turned to go. "I will tell him everything."

"Good luck with that." Jimmy turned and headed out of the bar. Kenna went over to the table. Eliot stood and let her slide in next to him.

"So, what did Jimmy have to say?"

"They lost him. Texarkana is his next stop."

"Maybe we should go out there and find his ass ourselves." Eliot ground out. Kenna reached over and ran her hand down his arm.

"I have a few things I need to discuss with the three of you." Kenna looked at Nate and Sophie.

"You look like you're about to lose your best friend."

"I might." Kenna swallowed hard. Then she took a deep breath. "When I left the seals I did a lot of real bad things. Worse than I have led you to believe."

"Kenna, we understand if you feel like if you tell us we won't understand but give us a try." Nate said. She felt Eliot's arm around her.

"A few years ago I went to work for a retrieval company. Sort of like a repo man for the rich. If they took a loan against property or other things."

"Other things?" Sophie questioned.

"People Sophie." Eliot looked at Kenna. "Their wives, husbands, and kids." Kenna looked at her daughter and stroked her cheek.

"I only had one job like that. I couldn't do it so I quit." She didn't look at them while she talked. "I got a call from a consortium that was looking for someone with my back ground willing to come back into the light."

"They thought you would do better fighting evil than creating it?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. It wasn't so much of a job as it was a mission." She looked across the table. "Three years ago a small company appeared on the company's radar. Some of the free worlds most wanted criminals were doing good things for good people."

"Us?" Nate questioned.

"Yeah. They thought you were doing good things even though you weren't playing by the rules. I didn't know about it till last year when you went to prison. It came across my desk when you got out. That's when I found out Eliot was part of the team I asked to be part of the detail."

"Detail?"

"The detail that makes you sure nothing stands in your way of helping the people you help."

"I'm not sure where you're going with this Kenna." Sophie said.

"There are a few of us who make sure you don't get caught doing what you're doing." Eliot looked at her.

"Who else?"

"Bonanno and a few others that I've never met." Kenna looked at Eliot. He hadn't moved his arm from around her shoulders so that was a good thing.

"You were spying on us?" Eliot looked at her.

"No, I was sent to help you. When…when I got pregnant they cut me loose. They told me that I could stay and not be part of the company or I could be reassigned."

"They wanted you to leave?" Kenna looked at Eliot.

"They offered to take care of things for me." She said quietly. "They did give me a choice and more than anything I wanted to stay."

"That's why you've been so jumpy. This consortium wants you back?"

"No, they are really proud of the work you've done. But things are not going to be easy from here on out. The word is out about what you do. The case load may be backed up for weeks or even months."

"Why didn't you just tell me all this after you found out you were pregnant?"

"Because I wasn't sure you would believe that this is where I should be." Eliot stood up.

"I guess you don't really know me all that well then." He walked out of the bar. Kenna watched him go.

"You said that this consortium want us to continue what we're doing?" Nate asked. Kenna turned and looked at him.

"They want to fund any and all future jobs. I told them you didn't do it for the money but they think that what you do is for the good of mankind." Kenna looked the way Eliot had gone.

"Go find him and make things right." Sophie smiled. Handing the car seat over the older woman Kenna headed to find Eliot.

/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You're not plotting to push me off the building are you?" Kenna found Eliot on the roof.

"I know less complicated ways to get rid of you if I wanted to." He didn't turn around.

"Now you know why I've been afraid to commit to this life." She stood behind him. "They had everything I had ever done…good and bad hanging over my head."

"Why didn't you just tell me Kenna?" Eliot spun around and glared at her. "Do you think anything you've done would change the way I felt about you?"

"No." She said softly. "I didn't know if they would let me stay."

"You said you quit after you found out you were pregnant. They can't make you do anything if you don't work for them Kenna." He didn't know what kind of people they were dealing with.

"They have every crime I have ever committed documented Eliot. I was afraid they would use it against me."

"If you would have told us we could have helped." He looked at her.

"Then maybe they would be after you instead of wanting to help you." She hugged her arms around herself. "Now we're both free." Kenna said. "Jimmy told me that I've proven to the consortium that I was an asset to your team so they wrote me off."

"Is that why you've been feeling like you don't deserve to be happy? They were holding your past sins over your head?" Eliot took a step forward and pulled her into his arms. "God baby, I wish you would have told me."

"It was in my contract, I couldn't." She clung to him. "I really felt if I didn't walk away that my whole life would be over anyway."

"Baby you have a decorated Navy seal, a captain of the Massachusetts State Police, and a US Marshal who believe in you and know that you're a changed women Kenna. That alone should tell you something." She started sobbing. Eliot pulled her closer and closed his eyes. It had been a long time since he had seen her cry. Not since they were kids. "Kenna it's over. You don't have to be strong for me baby. Just let it go." He whispered. "Just let it go." Eliot felt her clinging to him and he wished there was something more he could do to reassure her.

"They wanted me to leave you and Faith. They told me that I could never see you again." He didn't know who these bastards were but he was going to make them pay for what they had put Kenna though. She must have felt him tense because she pushed away and looked at him. Her eyes red and swollen. "Your right it is over. They won't bother us anymore. Please Eliot, don't do anything foolish."

"They threatened to keep you from your baby Kenna." She touched his cheek. "They threatened to take you away from me." Kenna smiled.

"I wouldn't let them. That's why I've been working hard on staying here." She leaned over and kissed his lips softly. "Now I can stay. Forever. You're stuck with me Eliot Spencer. Whether you like it or not." Pulling her close he hugged her tight.

"How could I not love being stuck with you Kenna Shane?" He whispered in her ear. "Now we're going to go downstairs and warm up and you can explain in detail about this consortium and you will not leave anything out."

"I promise." He put his arm around her shoulder and they headed down face Nate and Sophie.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

The team sat around the big screen in Nate's apartment. Faith slept in the small cradle that sat next to Eliot's chair. Kenna stood and took the remote off the coffee table.

"The Regal Consortium was founded by Jakob Regal in nineteen sixty-eight." Kenna put a picture of Regal up on the screen. "He founded it to help draft dodgers get a fair trial. Then when the war was over he had a ton of money and nothing to invest it in so he looked for every lost cause he could find. From windmill farms to PETA protests. Regal died three years ago when the restaurant he was eating at served him something with pine nuts in it even after he asked for the salad he ordered to be free of them. That's when Leverage Inc. showed up on the consortiums radar." Kenna sat on the arm of Eliot's chair. "They directed a few clients your way to test your skills. When they found out you were good at what you do they tried to keep as much spotlight off you as possible. When you split up the first time they did everything they could to bring you back but as luck would have it you couldn't stay apart." Kenna felt Eliot's hand on the small of her back and she relaxed a little more.

"Why didn't they keep Sterling off of us?" Nate asked.

"Interpol was a little more difficult to control a few years ago. As of now you'll be lucky if you ever see James Sterling again."

"I can live with that loss." Eliot commented. Kenna smiled.

"The consortium backs things and people that are doing good things for their communities and the people in them. They recruited me after a really bad time in my life and when I was going through the open files on my desk one day I found yours. I think that was the point. They knew that I knew Eliot and wanted someone on the inside to make sure things were running smoothly."

"You were sent to spy on us?" Parker glared at her.

"I was sent to check on an investment and I stayed because I fell in love…with all of you." She smiled at the thief. "Not as much as I did Eliot but I fell none the less." She looked at the team in front of her. "When I got pregnant I quit but I knew they still had all the bad things I did locked in a file somewhere so I was scared they would hold it against me."

"I could steal it for you?"

"That's sweet Parker but I couldn't begin to even tell you where it is."

"It's been burned." Jimmy came through the door. Kenna looked up. "Any and all proof they had that you ever went dark side is gone." He handed her a file. "This is your release papers."

"You didn't have to do this Jimmy."

"Yeah, I did." He looked at Kenna and Eliot. "You earned your freedom a long time ago. Now we get Costello and you're free to go on with your new life." Jimmy looked at the baby lying in the cradle next to her father's chair. "It's all cleaned up." He said softly. Looking a Kenna once again he took a deep breath. "Don't mess it up again." He turned and left just as quickly as he came in. Kenna looked at the file in her hand. It was over. The part of her life that she had been scared to face was behind her now. Gone. Eliot took her hand and squeezed it.

"Welcome home Kenna." He said. Looking at him she smiled.

"Yeah, Kenna, welcome home." Nate said as he looked at his hitter and the love of his life. He had always trusted Eliot to make the right choices and bringing Kenna into the fold had seemed to one of the best ones the younger man had ever made.

"Does this mean we can finally start planning a wedding?" Sophie asked. Kenna smiled.

"Or a trip to Vegas." She looked at Eliot. He shook his head.

"I can wait. We're going to do this right." Sliding her down into his lap he hugged. "No Elvis chapel wedding for my girl." Eliot hugged Kenna close and closed his eyes. She was finally his and he wasn't going mess it up, ever. Even if it meant losing a little sleep at night.


	7. Chapter 7

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Seven

Eliot laid Faith down in her crib. It had been a long day for all of them. Kenna was emotionally drained. She had cried three more times before she finally fell asleep on the couch an hour ago. He held close and told her it would be okay. He hoped he hadn't been lying to her. Eliot watched his daughter sleep. Smiling he touched her cheek. Kenna told him that all she cared about was the little girls safety and well being and she knew that even if she had to leave she could count on Eliot to make sure their little girl was safe.

"I'm never going to make you mama feel that she made a mistake staying for us sweetheart." Eliot leaned over had kissed the little girls forehead and covered her up. He left the room and shut the door. Making his rounds one last time he headed to take a sleeping Kenna to bed. The couch was empty. The bedroom door was open and he could see the night from the bathroom eliminating the room. "Kenna?"

"Yeah." She was curled up in the middle of the bed. "How do you get her to sleep like that?"

"She likes to sound of my voice." He started getting undressed. "Are you feeling better?"

"I'm tired." She whispered. Crawling into bed Eliot pulled her close.

"You had a long day."

"I called McGarret." Closing her eyes Kenna breathed in the scent that was now Eliot. A woodsy scent mixed with baby powder and a hint of green onion.

"What did he have to say?"

"He said we can have his beach for the wedding and his house for the reception as long as we clean up after."

"You want to get married in Hawaii?"

"Is that okay?" Kenna looked up at him.

"Baby we can get married on the moon if it makes you happy." He kissed the side of her head. "The beach by his house is a great choice."

"When Costello is caught we can make plans with Jodi and your mom and Nate. We can figure it out later." Kenna ran her hand down his chest. "I just want to curl up and sleep for a week."

"Maybe when Faith is like in college." Eliot ran his hand over her hair. There was a rattle in the ceiling. "Parker…you wake her up I will kill you." Kenna smiled.

"She didn't get her Faith fix today?"

"Apparently not." Eliot ran his hand up and down her back soothing her tense body. Even laying in bed curled up against him she was uncomfortably rigid. "Kenna, we will get Costello."

"I know. Jimmy and Annie won't let him get anywhere close to finding me and if he does I have the best hitter in the world wrapped around my little finger." Lifting her head she kissed him.

"Yeah, well this hitter would like to wrap you around a few other things darlin'." He knew that all it would take was a few hot kisses to take her over the edge tonight and he also knew that it was gonna be a long three weeks if they kept teasing each other this way.

"Goodnight Eliot." She whispered in his ear and wrapped her body closely around him. "I promise we will make up for lost time." Eliot chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"I never doubted for a minute." She was asleep before she could think of a decent come back and he watched her drift away. Friends, babies, a wedding on a beach, Eliot shook his head. He was getting soft but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that if push came to shove bad ass Eliot would come back like gangbusters.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

The next few weeks were busy and they almost forgot about Costello. Kenna and Eliot infiltrated the city public works office, her as a mechanic and he as a plow driver to get the dynamics of things were done. They had found a wonderful baby sitter in Mike the bartender's sister Sherri. She was in her mid forties with her kids grown and her husband working odd hours. It was a fit they could all live with for now and she didn't ask questions.

"How was your day?" Kenna walked into the apartment to find Faith in her bouncy seat as Sherri played peek- a-boo.

"Well for the first time since I started watching your wee little one she actually slept a few hours today."

"Yeah, well Faith takes after her farther in the sleep department." Kenna grabbed a bottle of water and went to say hi to her daughter. "Yes, your daddy's little sassy sleeper." The girl giggled, her blue eyes lighting up.

"But she's not crabby. You would think with the little sleep she's getting she would be a bear." Sherri tucked the blanket around the little girl.

"Can't say you get that from your grumpy bear daddy." Kenna said as Eliot came in the door.

"I heard that Kenna Shane. You bad mouthin' me in front of my daughter again woman?" He leaned over and kissed her.

"Absolutely, positively." She turned her head so he could reach her lips.

"I need a shower bad. Eighteen hours of garbage haulin' and snow plowin' is just not an attractive smell on a man." He tweaked Faith's toes and headed to the bathroom.

"Where can I get me one of those?" Sherri watched Eliot walk away.

"They broke the mold when they made that one Sherri." Kenna went into the kitchen and started dinner.

"You want me to take her down to Nate and Sophie's before I leave?" Sherri smiled. She knew Kenna had big plans for tonight.

"No they're going to come and ask to take her just before dinner. It was a long day and I'm sure he'll want to spend a little of it with his little sunshine." Kenna smiled. "Thank you for making this work Sherri."

"Mike was so happy that he could do something for us for a change. After his divorce he was a mess and he slept on our couch for months." Sherri got her coat. "I really enjoy watching Faith Kenna."

"I hope your enthusiasm lasts." Kenna smiled. She turned and grabbed an envelope out of her purse. "I threw a little extra in there for being late last week."

"Kenna, you don't have to do that. I'm glad to do it."

"We'll I'm glad to have you. I don't really know what I would have done without you."

"It's a pleasure." The older woman headed to the door. "I'd tell you to have a good night but sugar I have a feeling it would be redundant." Kenna smiled and watched the woman leave. She had the potatoes in the oven and the steak was marinating. Faith began to fuss. Kenna took her out of her seat and settled onto the rocker in the living room and began to nurse her. Eliot came out five minutes later, hair wet and shirtless.

"Someone couldn't wait for dinner?"

"She has her father's appetite." Kenna looked up. "You smell much better Spencer." He leaned over and kissed her. "MMMM gotta love an Old Spice man." He chuckled.

"What smells so good?"

"Garlic roasted potatoes and teriyaki steak."

"Mmmmm, gotta love a woman that can cook." He ran his hand over Faith's locks. "Do you think her hair will ever be manageable?"

"You forgot I've seen your baby pictures." Kenna looked up and smiled. "Are you going to put on a shirt are you just going to walk around like that all night."

"What, you don't like it?" Just then Sophie decided to burst in.

"Kenna, can I steal your little bundle for a couple hours?" She looked at Eliot. "Did I barge in on something?"

"No." Eliot stood and grabbed his t-shirt from his shoulder and put it on. "What do you want Faith for?"

"Because we haven't gotten to spend some quality time with her in almost a month and uncle Nate…well he bought her presents."

"Sophie, you need to get your man under control."

"I know. He got away from me at Barney's and then next thing I know…"Kenna finished burping Faith and handed her over to her aunt Sophie.

"Have her home by ten." Kenna smiled and shook her head so Sophie would know that ten was way too early to bring her back.

"We'll see. I see a slumber party in our future." Sophie went the fridge and grabbed three bottles. "You guys have a great dinner." She was out the door before either of them could say another word.

"What just happened?" Eliot asked.

"I think our child has been absconded for the night." Kenna got up and headed to the kitchen. "I'm going to start the steaks. I think the Celtics game starts in fifteen minutes." He came up behind her.

"Listen?" He whispered in her ear. She turned her head. "Its six thirty and its quiet."

"Mmmmm awesome." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Now is about time for Parker to repel through the sky light."

"I had it welded shut." He smiled. "After she caught us bare ass naked last summer I made sure it was the last time." Kenna shook her head.

"You really are insane, you know that?"

"Yeah, well Parker beats me hands down." He got out plates as she put the steaks to broil. Eliot set the coffee table and turned on the basketball game. Kenna opened a bottle of wine and grabbed two glasses. Taking the tray she headed into the living room.

"Give me five minutes." She headed into the bedroom.

"If your longer than eight I'm coming in after you woman." He opened the wine and poured them both a glass. Three minutes later Kenna came out of the bedroom, and Eliot nearly dropped his wine. "Kenna…" He was breathless. The black silk tank clung to her breasts like nothing he had ever seen. The tap pants clinging to her hips like a second skin.

"I went shopping with Sophie today." She said softly.

"Remind me to thank Sophie." He said hoarsely. "Do you really expect me to eat dinner and watch a basketball game with you lookin' like that?" She smiled and sat next to him.

"Maybe I could feed you? Or maybe we could skip the game." Kenna had a wicked look on her face.

"Darlin' you are playing with fire." She ran her hand up his leg.

"I like it hot." Smiling Kenna took a small potato cube in pressed it between his lips. Grabbing it between his teeth he nipped her finger.

"You and Sophie played me." He pulled her on his lap as he pushed the table back with his foot.

"Not exactly. I just wanted daddy all to myself for a little while."

"Kenna…" She put his finger to his lips and reached in her cleavage for a piece of paper. He took it from her. "You had her write you a note?"

"No, I had her write YOU a note." Kenna smiled. Eliot shook his head. "I didn't want you to have any excuses."

"When have I ever said no to you Kenna Shane?" He pushed the hair out of her face.

"Every day for the last six weeks." She ran her hand down his face. "Now there are no excuses." Kissing him slowly she started pulling at his t-shirt.

"What about dinner?" He said against her lips.

"They invented microwaves for a reason." Pulling off his t-shirt Kenna kissed his neck.

"What time did Sophie say she was bringing back Faith?"

"Mmmm I think she said something about a sleep over." Eliot's hand slid under her shirt.

"I hope the little princess doesn't keep them awake all night." He said before he took a nipple into his mouth. She almost melted right there.

"Eliot….." She moaned. It had been too long since she felt this way. To long since she let herself feel what Eliot did to her.

"Let's take this into the bedroom." Eliot said softly.

"Still afraid Parker is going to come through the skylight?" Kenna chuckled. Eliot picked Kenna up off his lap and kissed her.

"Maybe." He took her into the bedroom and threw her on the bed. Kenna couldn't help but laugh. Eliot had his boots and his jeans to the floor before Kenna could take another breath. But that's where the rushing ended. "You are so beautiful Kenna." He leaned down and kissed her. Slowly his hands moved over her body. The little changes had excited him more than she would ever know. Her curves more defined, her breast fuller.

"I missed you." She whispered breathlessly.

"I've always been here Kenna." His fingers traced the curve of her breast and took her nipple in his mouth once again.

"Okay so I missed this." She ran her hand down his cheek. Kissing her again he moved his hands down her body and pulled her against him.

"I missed this too." Eliot leaned his forehead against hers. "I love you."

"I love you too." He entered her with a tenderness that almost brought her to tears. He moved within her slowly, gently, like he was afraid he was going to hurt her. The kisses turned bolder and a little rougher. Kenna wrapped her legs around him pulling him deeper in her. The movement pushed her over the edge. Eliot shifted and moved a little faster bringing himself to a mind blowing end. He clung to her, not wanting the feeling of her wrapped around him to ever go away.

"I never wanted anything more then I wanted you Kenna." He whispered in her ear. "Unless you count Faith." Kenna smiled and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I bet you didn't think I'd be this much trouble?"

"Darlin' I knew exactly how much trouble you were going to be."

"So you're saying that not once have you thought, 'What the hell were you thinking Eliot Spencer? Lettin' that woman back into your life was the craziest thing you've done since letting Parker sleep on your couch.'" Kenna sounded almost as gruff as Eliot and he had to laugh.

"Maybe once." He kissed Kenna's temple as her hands roamed his back. "But if changing anything wouldn't bring me back to the place, right here, right now, it wouldn't be an option." Kenna moved her head and kissed his neck. He felt himself start to get hard again and wondered what the hell had he seen in all those other women he had let come and go in his life. They certainly hadn't loved him anymore then he had loved them. Hell most of them didn't even know his real name. And none of them got him rock hard less than ten minutes after shooting his load. It had been a long six weeks and apparently his body was telling him to make up for it.

"Been a long cold winter for you there Spencer?" Kenna moved her hips.

"I guess it has." He smiled and rolled her on her back. It had been awhile since he was in charge. He didn't mind letting her have this one thing but tonight he wanted to take control for just a little while. Show here that he knew what she needed and she didn't have to take it or show him, because he would give it to her freely and without reservation.

"Eliot…" She moaned his name when he moved just enough to find the place she needed him most. Closing her eyes Kenna let him take over. He knew her like he knew himself. Knew where to touch and how to touch her. Even at sixteen the boy had skills and twenty years later the man knew how to put them to good use. She hoped tonight would remind him that she was his heart and soul, that no matter what bad things either of them did in the past it all could be left outside their door for just a little while.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Eliot rolled over and found the spot next to him empty. He had never slept though Kenna leaving their bed before and the fact that she had unnerved him. He smelled coffee coming from the kitchen and heard her moving around even though the door was closed. Turning he looked at the clock. Three? What the hell was she doing up at three in the morning making coffee. The bedroom door opened and Kenna came in.

"Did I wake you?" She whispered, as she let her robe fall to the ground.

"I'm usually the night owl." He pulled her on top of him.

"Well you daughter wasn't here for her two o'clock feedings so I take care of things." She kissed him and he pressed her against the mattress. "Oh my, I was only gone a few minutes." He had woken up hard and he didn't waste any time making sure she was ready for him. "Remind me to leave you asleep more often." She said against his lips.

"You lucky I heard you walking back here or I might have killed you?" He moved deeper inside her.

"You know exactly what my footsteps sound like in every pair of shoes I own and especially when I'm barefoot." Kenna moved her hips slowly.

"You have a dist.." Kenna put her hand over his mouth.

"Don't even say it." He smiled. Kissing her deeply he ran his hand down her body. Kenna arched her back and moaned taking him deeper inside her. "You are a brilliant man Eliot Spencer."

"It took you this long to figure that out." He chuckled.

"I've always known, I just don't say it enough." She said breathlessly. Eliot moved a little faster and Kenna clung to him like if she let go, he would slip out of her life again. Not much more was said and not a whole lot of sleep was gotten in those wee hours of the morning. But when your Eliot Spencer and Kenna Hawks…who needs sleep right?


	8. Chapter 8

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Eight

"Hey, sleepy head." Kenna turned to find Eliot next to her. "Your daughter's getting a little pissy. I think she missed her mama last night." He handed her the whimpering little girl.

"She just missed the unlimited food bar." Kenna smiled. At the sound of her mother's voice Faith stopped fussing and opened her eyes. The smile the little girl gave her was surly not gas.

"See I told you all it would take was a little time apart and she would see that she's your biggest fan." Eliot watched his daughter nurse against her mother's breast and though how amazing life was at that moment. "Pancakes or eggs." Kenna looked up.

"Both. I'm sure Parker will be here soon."

"I was planning on serving you breakfast in bed."

"I'm sure Parker wouldn't mind." Eliot smiled, kissed her and headed back into the kitchen. "You know how special your daddy is Faith?" Kenna looked at her daughter. "Don't let the gruff exterior fool you. He's a marshmallow."

"Don't be telling her that Kenna, she'll think she can get away with anything she wants." Eliot called from the kitchen.

"He's also has bat like hearing so no sneaking in after curfew for you." Kenna burped the baby and laid her on the bed while she got on one of Eliot's t-shirts and a pair of pajama pants just as Parker bolted thought the bedroom door.

"Is she up?" The younger woman was out of breath.

"Yeah, I just fed her so don't bounce her around." Parker gently picked up the little girl and snuggled her close.

"Nate and Sophie hogged her all night last night. They wouldn't even let me play hungry hippo with her before bed like she likes." Kenna smiled. The little girl had every shape color hippo ever made and some Kenna was sure were one of a kind. Parker loved playing hippos with Faith even if the baby didn't always play back.

"I'm sure they didn't mean to take up all her time." Kenna smiled and pulled her hair back. It had gotten so long since her pregnancy, she really needed to get it cut. Kenna sat on the bed and crossed her legs. "Other than that how was your night of surveillance?"

"Those garbage guys are really kinda boring. I wish you and Eliot pulled the short straw."

"Maybe next time." Parker laid Faith down in front of her and blew raspberries on her tummy.

"Are you going to work with us all the time now?" She asked between blowing on the baby's belly.

"Whenever I'm needed and Sherri can babysit." Eliot came in the bedroom and handed both the women plates and snagged the baby off the bed.

"Enjoy ladies. I'm gonna take Faith and change her. Be back in a flash." He left the woman to eat their breakfast.

"He is so not what I thought he'd be as a dad." Parker said.

"He's better." Kenna smiled. They ate silently for a few minutes and then Parker set her plate down on the bed and looked at Kenna.

"Can I ask you something?" The blond thief looked perplexed.

"You know you can. Will I answer is a whole 'nother story." Kenna smiled.

"Who get's Faith if you and Eliot die." Kenna nearly choked on her orange juice and Eliot stopped in the door way.

"Parker, what the hell kind of question is that?" Eliot said as he shifted Faith to his shoulder.

"I just want to know. I mean if you give her to Nate and Sophie, with they let me and Alec see her?"

"Nothing's going to happen to me and Kenna Parker and if I does we'll make sure you can see Faith whenever you want." He sat next to Kenna and cuddled Faith who was nearly asleep.

"I don't want anything to happen to you ever but I just want to know that…Faith knows me." Eliot smiled.

"How could she ever forget her crazy auntie Parker?" The thief chuckled. He knew what Parker was feeling. It was part of the reason he never got to attached to anything. Because the chances of it being taken away were much greater then happily ever after. "You don't ever have to worry about her not being in your life Parker."

"Or us." Kenna put her hand on her friends arm. "You're stuck with the lot of us."

"I can live with that." She went back to her breakfast. Eliot laid the baby down on the bed and nabbed a piece of bacon off of Kenna's plate.

"I gotta be at the garage at nine, you want to car pool?" Kenna looked at Eliot.

"You're not afraid of office rumors following us around?" Eliot smiled.

"Hell I'm proud to start the rumors myself." She leaned over and kissed him. "Hell I could even brag about it." Kenna laughed. She handed Eliot her plate. "I'm gonna grab a quick shower." She headed to the bathroom. Eliot watched her walk away.

"I'll take the baby Sparky, you go clean your dirty mind." Parker picked up the baby and grabbed both plates off the bed like a pro. She headed to the kitchen and Eliot headed to help Kenna get clean.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Damn it Hardison where the hell is the damn power grid?" Eliot growled.

"You should be right on top of it." Hardison shot back.

"It's not here." This day was never going to end. It started out like any other but damn it had gone downhill fast. All they had to do to finish the job was pull the power on a meeting of the city works committee and pop them back up three minutes later with all their findings magnified on the screen showing actual time cards and how the sanitation slash plow guys were working sometimes up to twenty-four hours straight without overtime pay. Kenna dropped down from the man hole.

"Need some help cowboy?" She smiled.

"I thought you went home."

"Can't leave before the parties over." Turning she pulled the face off the power grid. Eliot shook his head. "You want to do the honors?" She handed him the pliers.

"You just like showing me up."

"That I do Spencer but I always make it up to you."

"_If you two are done having your little flirt off down there I would like to get the deal done." Nate said, his voice dripping with sarcasm_.

"Someone piss in the boss man Wheaties this morning." Kenna said knowing full well that Nate could hear her. Eliot shook his head. He had told her time and time again her smart mouth was going to get her in trouble.

"_Just get the job done and get the hell out of there before you both get caught." The sound of footsteps made Eliot stop what he was doing._

"Too late." He said. Looking up he saw three men coming down the narrow opening. Turning he saw three more coming down from the other way. "Left or right?" He asked Kenna.

"Might as well take the right. They look a little bigger than the ones on the left."

"Kenna I'm gonna say it again, that mouth…" The first man took a step close enough for Kenna to make a move.

"Is going to get me in trouble." She finished for him and she took out her first man. "It's my mouth you fell in love with Spencer." Kenna grabbed the next guy and plowed is head into her knee. Eliot blocked a punch and took the man under his arm and cut off his air as he kicked the next man taking him and the third one down.

"You keeping thinken' that darlin'." He pounded on the third guy as he still held the first under his arm. Kenna ducked a right hook but the next hit came out of nowhere and she didn't even see it coming but Eliot did. He caught the man's fist just before it made contact with Kenna's jaw and broke the man's hand as he pushed him to the ground and kicked him squarely in the jaw, knocking him out. "I fell in love with your bad attitude. The mouth was just a bonus." He kissed as he leaned over and kicked the last of the Hench men unconscious.

"_Okay you two can you get out of the sewer before the whole damn city comes down there to check on the power outage." Nate sounded a little less then ecstatic. Eliot turned and hit the power grid again sending the darken block back into the light. Eliot gave Kenna a hand up and she pulled herself up through the grate and she reached for his hand and helped pull him out. They headed back to the van down the block and let Nate and Sophie finish the job._

"What the hell part of 'head home' did you not comprehend?" Kenna got into the truck parked behind the van.

"I guess being dismissed like a child when the going gets tough isn't what I signed up for." She threw her jacket on the seat.

"So you risk getting your ass kicked because you didn't want to feel left out? Real grown up Kenna." She got in the truck and slammed the door not bothering to answer him. Starting the engine she backed up just enough to pull out of the space. Eliot didn't move.

"You want to see how childish I can be Spencer just keep standing there." She knew his com was still on but she shouted anyway. Yanking out her com she threw it on the seat. Revving the engine, she pulled an inch forward hitting his shoulder lightly. He shook his head and clenched his teeth. Moving he slammed his fist into the retreating vehicle.

"I thought when you got laid your disposition got better?" Parker said from the bumper of the van.

"It always lightens my mood." Alec looked at Eliot.

"Enough already." Eliot got into the front seat of the van. "Damn it Hardison, get us out of here." Shaking his head the hacker stood up and closed the van doors behind Parker and got into the driver's seat.

"You want me to stop at Flowerama on the way home. They're open twenty-four seven now a days. Or I can pull up a lovely 'I Fucked Up Bouquet' from one eight hundred flowers?"

"Shut up and drive Hardison." Eliot growled.

"I'm just saying." He pulled out of the parking place and headed toward home.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Kenna let herself into the apartment and threw her phone on the charging pad and hung her keys up. Sherri looked up from her book.

"I thought you were going to be later?" She stood.

"Got done a little earlier then I thought. How was Faith?"

"Good. She's actually asleep."

"I figured she must have kept Nate and Sophie up last night, or at least Nate. He wasn't very pleasant today." Sherri grabbed her coat. "You can stay in the loft apartment if you don't want to drive home, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know."

"It's there whenever you want it."

"I don't mind the drive when the roads are good. Do you need me tomorrow?"

"No, I think I'll stay home no matter what."

"Okay well then give me a call tomorrow and we'll talk about the rest of the week."

"You got it. Thank you for being so flexible Sherri."

"Thank you for giving me a job when I needed it." The older woman left and Kenna kicked off her boots and went into the bedroom. Turning on Sports Center she pulled off her shirt, bra and slid off her jeans. Going into the bathroom she grabbed the t-shirt she had on this morning and turned back around to run into a brick wall that was Eliot's chest. He didn't say a word; he just pushed her against the bedroom wall and kissed her. She dropped her t-shirt and held onto his shoulders as he lifted her up off the floor. He didn't give her a chance to catch her breath. Kissing her deep he moved against her. She could feel him getting hard. The feel of him touching her was making her wetter than she had ever been. Kenna felt Eliot's fingers touching her and then before she could put together a coherent thought he was inside her pushing deep. His hands moved to her bottom and held her as close to him as he could.

"Don't you ever treat my truck the way you did tonight woman or you will be sleeping on the couch, permanently." Eliot mumbled against her lips. He kissed her neck and nibbled his way down to her full breasts. He knew better then to take the nipple in his mouth or she would be done with this before either of them got started.

"You couldn't live like that Spencer." She moaned. "Knowing all this was laying out there all alone." Chuckling Eliot lifted her up an inch or two and looked her in the eye.

"If you don't start behavin' yourself darlin' I will have to put the smack down on you." She smiled.

"Is that a promise Spencer or do I have make you sign something?" He shook his head.

"I want you to be my wife Kenna. I don't want to wait."

"Whenever you want Eliot." He kissed her again, deep and hard.

"Next weekend. You and me on the beach." He pressed deep into her and flexed, sending a wave of pleasure though them. She would agree to get married in the middle of Boston Common naked if it meant never having to give up every feeling she was feeling at this very moment.

"YES ELOIT!" She screamed. Eliot moved his hips faster pushing his hard cock deeper inside her. "Oh, Eliot oh yeah." Kenna clung to his shoulders he nails biting into the flesh of his forearms, the pain sending him over the edge. He felt the second wave of Kenna's orgasm rock her body. She clung to him and he held her close leaning his weight against the wall.

"You okay?" He said barely able to talk.

"Yeah." She said. "If I died right now I would surly die a happy woman." Shifting her pulled out of her and politely pulled up her panties and discarded the used birth control in the trash. "How do you do that?" She whispered as she put her head against his chest and took a deep breath.

"Do what?" He snickered.

"You know damn well what I'm talken' about." Eliot knew she was beat, because her drawl was coming out full force.

"Maybe I just wear them just in case." He smiled. "Get to bed baby, I'll be there in five minutes." She moved the few steps to the bed and curled up on the left side not bothering to put on a shirt or even pull up the blankets. Eliot kicked off his jeans and pulled up his boxers. "Sweet dreams darlin'." He threw his clothes in the hamper and crawled in next to her. He wasn't all the way in before she found him and curled into him, wrapping her leg around his. Pulling up the blanket he knew he was in for one of those 'don't you dare leave my bed' nights. He smiled, turned off the TV, threw the remote on the bedside table and kissed the top of her head, "I love you." He whispered.

"Not as much as I love you cowboy." She mumbled against his chest. He closed h is eyes and hopped Faith would let them both get some much needed sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Nine

"One corrupt payroll account in the bag and one serial rapist to wrangle." Nate looked at Kenna. He threw her the remote. "You're up Kenna." She caught it.

"Costello has hit six of my last ten safe houses. He knows he's being followed and his changing up his route so we're kinda screwed. When he was going in order it was easy to track him now…" Kenna brought up the map of the man's movements. "It looks like he has no rhyme or reason."

"Where was the last place you were before you settled in New York?" Eliot asked.

"Fairbanks, Alaska." Eliot looked at her.

"You hate the cold."

"I wasn't feeling much of anything back then." She couldn't look at him. "I went to New York after that then here." She looked at the screen. "He's unpredictable and so far off the grid, I don't think we'll be able to track his movements."

"How did you track him before?"

"He went to places he was stationed. Places he had visited in college." Kenna looked at the map. "He was stationed in Fairbanks in ninety-six."

"Then that's where he's going." Eliot looked at the map. "Do you want to go after him?"

"Damn straight." She turned and looked at him. "Thing is we have a bit of responsibility." Kenna looked at Parker who was attacking Faith with a little purple hippo.

"The rest of the team can stay here with her. You have enough milk in the freezer to feed triplets and we really don't need anyone there but Hardison." Eliot looked at Nate. "If that's okay with you? This isn't a con, just retrieval." Nate looked at him.

"I think that might be for the best. Hardison, book the next flight out to Fairbanks for the three of you. You sure your okay with this Kenna? I mean I know leaving Faith is going to be hard." Kenna looked at the older man.

"I'm leaving the best to take of her. If you want Sherri can stay in the loft apartment with her husband while we're gone. That is if you think you need back up." She smiled.

"I think between me, Sophie, and Parker we can handle one little girl for a few days." Nate patted Kenna's shoulder. "You might be to handle the separation but what about daddy?" Kenna looked over to see Eliot had taken Faith out her seat and was talking to her.

"I didn't mean to break your hitter Nate." Kenna said quietly.

"Oh Kenna you didn't break him. You made him stronger. Down in the tunnel last night he handle things more smoothly than I ever thought he could with you put in the line of fire. He's a better man in every way. And you didn't back down when he got mad at you. It made you stronger too."

"You are a strange man Nate Ford." Kenna smiled. "I guess we should go pack." She grabbed her files. "You two coming?" She looked at Eliot.

"Yeah." He shifted Faith and followed Kenna upstairs.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0o/0

"What's the plan?" Eliot asked Kenna as they packed for Alaska.

"We get there and hope he's still playing his same games. He'll go to the Army base and looked for my alias. Hardison got the three of us clearance on base. He set me up with the alias I had back then and made sure I was assigned to the base."

"And me?"

"My construction worker husband. The company your work for has contracts on the base so you have all the clearance you need to get around the base." He pulled her to him.

"Bonus for me, I can share a bed with you and not worry about getting caught."

"Costello won't be suspicious if he sees us together." Eliot ran his hand down her hair. "He might not even fall for this. He might just turn tail and run."

"From what you told me about this guy, it's the last thing he's gonna do."

"He's a close range killer so we don't have to worry about him taking me out with a sniper rifle or anything."

"Well there's a happy thought. Are you okay with leaving Faith with Nate and the others?"

"Are you?" She ran her hand down his cheek.

"Just one more reason to finish this job as quickly as possible." Eliot grabbed the bag off the bed. "We only have an hour till our flight leaves. We should kiss our baby girl good-bye and get going." He looked at her.

"Yeah, I guess we have to go." Nate and Sophie were waiting for them in the living room. "You guys know pretty much everything there is to know about Faith."

"We'll do just fine. Neither of you have to worry." Sophie looked at Eliot. He looked at her. She knew how much that little girl meant to the both of them. She would die before letting anything happen to her. Nate and Parker felt the same and he knew it.

"We trust you." He looked at Parker. She had a hippo bigger then Faith and she was talking in her hippo voice to the baby. Walking next to her he whispered something in the thief's ear. She nodded and smiled. Eliot patted her shoulder and leaned over and kissed Faith. Kenna touched the little girls face and kissed her.

"You be good for your aunts and uncle." Kenna wasn't going to cry. She reached for Eliot's hand and they headed out the door.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"What did you tell Parker?" Kenna asked when they were headed to the airport.

"I told her to make Sophie and Nate do everything right for Faith."

"You know she'll be looking over their shoulders till we get back don't you?" Eliot grinned.

"You're a bad man Eliot Spencer." Hardison said from the back seat and chuckled. Kenna shook her head.

"We are so going to owe Sophie and Nate a month vacation after this." Eliot just smiled.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

The plane touched down in Fairbanks a little after midnight Alaskan time. They headed to the off base housing Hardison had set up for them. Luck would have it there were two open houses next to each other. Eliot threw their bag in the bedroom and let his body fall to the bed.

"Damn I forgot how damn uncomfortable Government Issue beds can be, even the full size ones." He grabbed Kenna and pulled her down on top of him.

"I wouldn't know. I was a suck up and got pretty much anything I wanted including a new mattress when McGarret recruited me."

"You were an Army whore Kenna Shane." Eliot rolled over so she was under him.

"Hey I can't help that I have mad skills that warranted a good night's sleep." He had her hands pinned under her and his legs were holding hers in place.

"You were a spoiled brat is what you were." He leaned over and kissed her. Kenna moved her head and avoided his lips. "Oh, we're gonna play this game Kenna Shane?" She smiled and wiggled her arms out from under her. He grabbed her hand before she could get it out from under her body. "You can't win darlin', you know better than that. You can't win." She moved her other hand and pulled up her shirt reveling a lime green bra that brought back a flood of memories for both of them. "What happened to the nursing bra?" He whispered.

"I figured for at least a couple of days I don't have to pull them out every two hours, I'd spice things up." She smiled. He let down his guard and she rolled her shoulders, catching him off balance and twisted out from under him.

"You are in big trouble woman." He went and grabbed arm and pulled her against him. "Did you call Jimmy and tell him what we were doing?" Eliot asked pushing her against the wall.

"No but she should of." Jimmy Godfrey stood in the bedroom doorway. "Last time I checked neither one of you we connected to any law enforcement agency. That means you have no business messing around with this or Costello."

"Costello was my collar Jimmy and he's coming after me." Kenna pushed away from the wall. "I got this."

"Just like you had it the last time Kenna? You went so far off the rails you nearly lost your friggin' mind." Kenna and Jimmy were toe to toe. He was just over six feet tall and it seemed he towered over her five foot six frame.

"You know I can do this Jimmy, just let me." He looked at her and then at Eliot.

"I want you to promise me you'll pull her ass out if Costello even breaths the same air as her." Eliot looked at the man. Kenna said he was a friend but what he saw in the man's eyes was a hell of lot more than a concerned friend.

"I won't let him lay a hand on her." Eliot said; his tone not the least bit friendly.

"You saw the pictures Spencer. You know what Costello can do." Jimmy shot back.

"I also know that Kenna isn't like his victims."

"Kenna was one of his victims." Jimmy growled at Eliot.

"Kenna is standing right here." She looked at the two men. "Neither of you have ever had a problem with the way I do things in the past so let's just pretend that just because I'm a few years older and a few pounds heavier that my mad tracking skills are still intact."

"Kenna…" Eliot took a step forward but she put her hand up.

"No, up until Jimmy walked in the door you had all the faith in the world in me and now I can see it in your eyes that you're having second thoughts." She walked into the living room where Hardison was sitting on the couch looking as innocent as the day was long. "And you…why the hell did you let him in here?" The hacker looked at Kenna.

"The badge and the gun pretty much say it all Kenna." He answered. Kenna shook her head. She needed to get away from the testosterone in the room before she went out of her mind. Grabbing and ear bud out of the pocket of her bag she walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

"You're just going to let her walk out the door?" Jimmy looked at Eliot.

"Do you want to go after her after that? I don't know about you about you but I like my nut sack where it is." Eliot turned on his ear bud. "How long is this tantrum gonna last darlin'."

"_Is Jimmy gone?" She ground out._

"Naw, he's not leaving anytime soon."

"_Then I'm going for a really long walk." Kenna said._

"Watch your back." He said and he looked at Jimmy. "Give her an hour or two and she may cool down but I wouldn't go pushing her buttons anymore Godfrey."

"The more I push her, the angrier she gets and damn it we need her angry." Eliot shook his head and turned off his ear bud.

"If you knew anything about Kenna you would know that angry makes her dangerous and dangerous makes her sloppy. If she goes into any situation with a clear head there isn't anything that woman can't do. She goes in there with a million things going through her head and she'll make mistake and that mistake will get her killed. You coming here has made her doubt what she is doing is the right thing."

"Eliot's right man. Kenna is the best. You've seen what she can do." Hardison stood up. "Now…now she's got more to lose Jimmy. She's got Faith and Eliot. She's got something worth fighting for." The hacker handed the marshal a file. "This is what we got so far." The older man looked at Hardison. Kenna never had family the whole time he had known her. Now she was part of something that could grow.

"I guess I just spent a lot of years keeping her out of trouble and I just feel like I still need to do that."

"Not your job anymore, its mine." Eliot said.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Jimmy looked at the two men. "Okay, let's see what you have and I'll tell you what I got and let's put this bastard away for good." Eliot nodded. They went to the kitchen table and started working on a plan.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

Kenna was cold. Funny thing with Alaska, in the winter, it's damn cold. She didn't want to go back to the house yet. Jimmy and Eliot were driving her insane. Eliot had been right. Jimmy had feelings for her that she wasn't ready to admit it. The whole time they served together she used him as a crutch. Men asked her out and she would use Jimmy as a buffer. She stood closer to him when they went out just to keep other men at bay. The music coming from a bar made her stop. Maybe she just needed some liquid courage.

"Don't even think about it Blondie." Hardison said in her ear.

"Shut up Alec." She ground out.

"I don't like being treated like that Kenna." He laughed.

"Where's the testosterone twins?"

"Working on a plan. You coming back anytime soon?" Kenna looked at the bar. "Losing yourself in a bottle isn't an option." He said softly.

"Who died and made you the voice in my head?" She leaned against a telephone pole.

"I know its rough, when people think what you do isn't important to the cause. Or they think you're not up to the job."

"You're Alec Hardison, geek extraordinaire."

"I wasn't always. Just remember who you are Kenna, and what you can do." Kenna heard Eliot looking for Hardison.

"I will." She said quietly. Pushing away from the pole she headed back to the house. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She would like to think it was because of the cold but she knew better. "Hardison?"

"_Yeah, I'm here."_

"I'm being followed."

"_Where are you?"_

"Six blocks west of the base housing." Kenna didn't dare turn around. If Costello knew she knew he was there he would surly bolt.

"_You headed back here?"_

"Damn straight. Make sure Jimmy stays out of sight. If Costello even thinks this might be a trap he'll be gone." Kenna slowly speeded up her pace a little at a time. She took a deep breath.

"_Kenna, can you see him?" Eliot's voice was the sweetest thing s he ever heard._

"I don't dare turn around." Kenna tried to whisper but it was so cold her teeth were starting to chatter.

"_Just head back, I'm on my way." _

"Take the first street to your right after you take a left out of the driveway."

"_Okay, just take it easy." Kenna saw him turn the corner. She sped up._

"Can you see him?"

"_No, but that doesn't mean he isn't there darlin'."_ A half a block later Kenna threw herself in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, I don't want to fight anymore." She said.

"I'm sorry too." He clung to her knowing that it was just a con to show anyone that was watching that they had just had a fight and were making up. Eliot scanned the area and saw a shadow a block and half up. "Jimmy we have company a block and half up from our position."

"_I'm on it." He said._

"Jimmy left with me and went around the block. He'll get him." Kenna clung to him.

"Yeah, if not today…tomorrow then." She pushed away from him and started walking back to the house.

"I know you can do this Kenna. Don't ever think I don't believe you can do anything you put your mind to."

"Unless you get into a pissing match with Jimmy." She didn't want to fight with him. Not now.

"I'm sorry." Was all he said. Kenna stopped and turned to looked at him.

"You shouldn't have to say you're sorry for defending me Eliot." Taking out her ear bud she didn't have to share this with Jimmy. Eliot got the hint and turned his off. "You don't need to worry about Jimmy."

"You don't see the way he looks at you Kenna."

"Why do I care about the way he looks at me Eliot. It's not like I'm flirting with him."

"Kenna you don't have to flirt." He grabbed her and pulled her do him. "Just being you makes everyone in the room take notice." Eliot kissed her.

"You do know how to make a girl feel wanted Eliot Spencer." She leaned her forehead on his. "I never, ever felt anything more than a brotherly affection for Jimmy. I'm sorry that he couldn't see that." Eliot wrapped his arms around her.

"We better get inside." He turned on his ear bud. "Jimmy?"

"_I lost him. He may be headed your way."_

"I'm setting the alarm."

"_Keep her safe." Jimmy answered. _

"Hardison, you have the alarm installed?"

"Yeah." He got up and set it when they got in the door.

"I don't want this bastard surprising us." Eliot looked at Kenna. "You should get some sleep."

"You're coming with me right?" He shook his head.

"No, go to bed Kenna." Eliot kissed her. She turned and went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"Really Eliot? You're going to let her go to bed by herself?"

"Don't start with me too Hardison." Eliot flopped down on chair. "We gotta get this guy."

"We will." Hardison handed him a beer. "We will."


	10. Chapter 10

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Ten

Kenna woke up with her head pounding and her body aching. It had been a whole lot of years since she had been sick. Maybe the long walk in the cold air last night wasn't the best idea. She knew she needed to get up but she had no energy. Eliot would check on her soon. He wouldn't go very long without checking on her. Something wasn't right. She was cold and her mouth felt like she had a bag full of cotton in it.

"Drink." The voice in the darkness startled her. She felt a hand on her head and a cup to her lips. It wasn't Eliot, Hardison, or Jimmy. She knew that much. The voice was familiar but she couldn't put her finger on it. "I've missed you." Kenna tried to pull away, open her eyes or at least push the person breathing against her cheek away but she couldn't. Her arms were restrained and it felt like her body was being weighed down.

"Eliot!" The scream broke the fog that was filling up her mind. Somehow Costello got to her. What had he done to Eliot and Hardison? Thrashing against whatever was holding her down in the dark room she screamed again and again hoping someone, anyone would hear her.

"Kenna! Wake up honey." Eliot's voice echoed in her head. Had she been wearing an ear bud? "Kenna, you need to wake up." She felt his hands on her shaking her. "Wake up Kenna!." Her eyes shot open and the darkness faded away.

"Eliot?" Blinking a few times to get accustom to the light she looked at him.

"Yeah darlin', who were you expecting?" Kenna sat up hand wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him for dear life. "Hey it's all good." He pulled her against him and ran his hand down her hair. She hadn't had the nightmares since Faith had been born and Eliot had hoped she had put them behind her.

"I couldn't move." She whispered.

"You were tangled in the sheets. You've been pretty restless all night."

"What time is it?"

"About six. Was it Costello?"

"Yeah, he had me in a dark room. I never saw his face when he attacked me so when I dream about it his face is just a blur." Eliot felt Kenna relax a little.

"I have something you'll want to see." He reached for his phone from the bedside table. Hitting the screen a few times he held it in front of her. It was Faith and Parker. The thief was making the baby's hand wave.

"_Say 'hi' to mama and daddy Faith. Tell them Uncle Nate and Aunt Sophie are being sticks in the mud and not letting us go sledding." Kenna laughed. "Tell them, 'come home soon'." Parker said and the little girl smiled. The video ended and Eliot put his phone back on the table._

"No sad thoughts after that Kenna." He held her face in his hands. "Costello is going to be gone soon and you won't have to ever worry about him again."

"I know. The dream was just so real. I've had nightmares before but I could almost feel his breath on my skin." Eliot pulled her close again and he could feel her shaking. Kenna was scared of very little but he knew that Costello had shaken her to the core. The fact that she wouldn't let him touch the scare on her hip till recently was proof of that.

"I ran to the store earlier and got some stuff for omelets."

"They have twenty-four hour grocery stores in Alaska?"

"It's not Siberia." Eliot smiled and helped her up out of bed. She was still in the clothes she had on last night but he knew she didn't care what Hardison thought. They went into the kitchen.

"Feeling better?" Hardison looked up from his lap top.

"Not a whole lot but I'm getting there." Eliot handed her a cup of coffee and she sat on the bar stool closes to him. The uneasy feeling hadn't left her. She knew Eliot could feel her tension. He always could sense when she wasn't quite as relaxed as she let on. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he made breakfast. Her hands shook when she brought her cup to her lips.

"Are you sure your up for this Kenna?" Hardison asked what Eliot was afraid to.

"I'm fine." She said setting down her mug. Eliot clenched his jaw. She wasn't fine. Not even close.

"Jimmy called McGarret. The base is on lock down till we catch Costello. No one goes in or out for the next forty-eight hours."

"How did he pull that one off?" Kenna said.

"I guess when one of your own is in the cross hairs; you pull out all the stops." Eliot flipped an omelet on a plate and handed it to her. He looked at her. "Eat, you need to keep up your strength."

"Yeah." She took the fork he set on the plate and started eating. Eliot continued to make breakfast for him and Hardison but he kept an eye on her. Even after she'd eaten some the color hadn't yet come back to her cheeks. He set a plate in front of Hardison and sat down across from Kenna.

"We're going to get him Kenna. I don't care what it takes." She looked at him.

"I'm the one that got away Eliot. He'll stop at nothing to finish the job."

"You know he won't get within spitting distance if I can help it Kenna."

"If we can help it." Hardison looked at his two friends. "I'm working on tracking this bastard on traffic and security cams but it's not like this town is in the twenty-first century or anything."

"You'll find him Alec." Kenna said softly. She finished her omelet and coffee. "I'm going to take a shower and we can figure out how we're going to draw this bastard out." She pushed her plate away and headed to the bathroom.

"Is she okay?" Hardison looked at his friend who looked anything but all right.

"If we don't find this bastard soon I don't know if I can pull her back from the edge. Not even seeing that video of Faith cheered her up."

"Now if Parker and Faith can't cheer a person up we got big trouble." Hardison's computer beeped. "We have facial recognition on Costello." He turned the screen so Eliot could see. "At the grocery store down the block. He was there right before you were this morning."

"And you're now just getting the hit?"

"Like I said, so not the age of the geek up here in bumfuck." Hardison followed the cameras from the grocery store to the base. "It looks like he might just be randomly walking around hoping to find her again. I think he stumbled across her last night when she went out walking."

"Men like Costello don't stumble into things. He's a stalker."

"I guess you're right." Hardison looked back over the footage. "The base has got the most video surveillance but he didn't go on the base."

"He couldn't because they're on lockdown. If he snuck in there he might not be able to get out."

"So then he's gonna start looking for her off base."

"Yeah. He's gonna come looking for her." Eliot knew that Jimmy was out there tracking this guy but he would be one step ahead of the Marshal unless Eliot turned the table on him. "We need a way to let Costello know where to find Kenna without putting her in danger."

"Short of hanging her picture on the front door with sign saying 'Here I Am' we need an idea."

"I walk the block again." Eliot looked up. Kenna's hair was wet from the shower and she looked even more exhausted then she did earlier.

"Not an option."

"This guy is fucking with my life Eliot. I can do this. I bait him and you and Jimmy beat the ever loving shit out of him." Kenna's voice was shaking.

"I'm not letting you prance around the neighborhood in the open. He may have liked the face to face in the past but things change Kenna. He could be out there with a sniper rifle."

"I chased this bastard for almost two years. He wants to see my face when he finishes me off." Kenna sat down and looked at Eliot and Hardison. "We get Jimmy back here and the three of you wait here for him to follow me."

"I will not put you out there like that Kenna."

"You have no say in it." She turned off the chair and headed to the bedroom.

"Eliot, think this through before you go after her. She's not thinking to clearly."

"Mind your own business Hardison." Eliot followed Kenna. "You think I have no say in you putting your life on the line to catch a serial killer? Who the hell do you think you're talking to Kenna Shane?"

"Last time I checked it was a free country. I'm pretty sure it's safe to say I'm the only person I have to answer to."

"You're pretty much wrong. You have a child who I'm pretty sure would be lost without her mother."

"I grew up without a mother and you seem to like how I turned out."

"I can't believe you're actually bringing this up. Damn it Kenna, do really think that you can make this kind of decision without thinking about how it affects the people around you?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you Eliot. This man raped and killed innocent woman. Woman who never got a chance to have a family or any kind of real life and pretty much got away with it."

"You have a little girl and a life to go home to Kenna; don't let your pride or whatever it is getting in the way of your common sense."

"Mark Costello is a monster Eliot."

"A monster who wants you to be his next victim." Eliot growled out. "You really don't think that I have a say in you putting your life on the line like this?"

"You can say whatever you want Eliot but I am going to do whatever it takes to catch Costello." Kenna took her jacket from the chair and turned toward the door. Eliot grabbed her arm.

"We're not done talkin'."

"You may not be but I am. I'm going to get Costello if it's the last thing I do." She reached for the door and hand it open and few inches before Eliot pushed close.

"It damn well might be the last thing you do Kenna." She looked at him. "You're pissed and I get that. You want this guy gone and I get that too but I'll tell you what I told Godfrey. When you're angry you don't use your head. Not thinking three steps ahead gets you dead Kenna."

"I lived this long haven't I?" She said her voice cold as ice and her eyes just as dead.

"You really want to play it this way Kenna?" Eliot crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's the way I'm going to do it Eliot."

"Then if Costello doesn't kill you don't bother coming back to Boston. Faith doesn't need a woman with a death wish in her life." He opened the door and left slamming it behind him.

"Eliot…"

"No, don't tell me I was hard on her or that she doesn't deserve to be treated like this. She's acting like a child Hardison."

"But she's just protecting herself, you know that right? If she thinks you're pissed at her then if she dies she thinks it won't hurt as much." Eliot looked at his friend.

"She just played me?"

"Kinda." Eliot shook his head.

"I didn't even see that coming." He turned around and went back in the bedroom. Kenna wasn't there. The widow alarm wires were cut and she was long gone. "Son of a bitch." Eliot turned and looked at Hardison. "She's gone. Find Jimmy and make sure he's here ASAP."

"I'm on it." Eliot should have read the signs, knew that Kenna would want to protect him from the hurt.

"What have you done Kenna Shane?" Eliot whispered to himself. "Three steps ahead." Damn it. She had been thinking clearly. She wasn't the one pissed, it was him. Kenna pissed him off so he was dangerous. She knew he would never let her die. And if he was pissed to the point of being dangerous there was no chance Mark Costello would live if he laid a hand on her. If they made it out of this in one piece he just might kill the little witch.


	11. Chapter 11

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Eleven

"I wish I could of brought him down myself so we wouldn't have to be sitting here waiting for the other shoe to drop." Jimmy scanned the snow covered landscape around the house. Eliot stood next to him.

"Yeah, well the next time the state of Texas loses one of its deadliest serial killers, lose my girlfriends phone number."

"You still call her your girlfriend. I thought you asked her to marry you?"

"Do I look like the kinda guy that uses the word fiancé?" Eliot looked at Jimmy.

"I guess not." Jimmy chuckled. "For what it's worth I'm sorry for messing up things."

"Kenna and me, we fight. It's in our DNA." Eliot looked back out at the snowy yard.

"She never even suspected I wanted more out of our relationship. I always wondered why till I saw the two of you together. She had only eyes for one man, even back then."

"I hate to rub it in man, but you never stood a chance." Eliot smiled.

"I get that now." Jimmy pointed. "There's Kenna."

"And Costello a hundred yards behind."

"Does she have her ear bud in?"

"I don't know. Hardison?"

"Yeah, she just turned it on."

"Kenna?"

"_He's behind me. I'm going to let him catch up."_

"No!" Three voices echoed in her ear.

"You keep at least fifty yards behind you Kenna or he will catch you." Eliot growled

"_I'm almost to the house. I can stop and check the mail and let him get closer."_

"You're gonna get yourself killed. Just head right into the house." Kenna stopped at the mailbox and Costello got nearly fifty feet from her before she walked up the path. "If he doesn't kill her, I will." Eliot said through clenched teeth. By the time Kenna was on the porch the man following her was behind the bushes at the end of the drive.

"Does she still have that pig sticker in her boot?" Jimmy asked.

"Doesn't leave home with out it."

"Good she may need it."

"I'm standing right here." She came into the house. "Maybe if I head to the shower he'll think he can waltz right in." Eliot had a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling.

"We'll get him before he even gets in the same room as her Eliot." Jimmy looked at the other man.

"He's coming up the walk." Hardison said. They all scattered around the house. They heard the water running.

"He steps foot in this house you take him, do you understand me." Eliot looked at the other two men.

"You don't have to tell us twice." They heard the door knob turn. Jimmy moved to behind the door just as it was slowly being opened. Eliot went near the bathroom door to stop Kenna if she decided to do something stupid.

"Come on you bastard." Eliot whispered under his breath. He knew that there was no way the man could get to Kenna without going through him. Eliot knew exactly where Kenna was. Curled up in the corner of the bathroom waiting for it all to be over.

"Come out, come out where ever you are bitch." Mark Costello came into the house. He turned and locked the door. The sound of a gun being cocked broke the silence in the room.

"You move Costello and no one will find the pieces of your body when my friend over there chops you into a million pieces." Jimmy had his gun to the man's head. "Put your hands on your head."

"You told me not to move First Lieutenant…Godfrey, wasn't it."

"It's Marshal Godfrey now." He took the cuffs out of his belt.

"Ahhh I should have known escaping from death row would bring out all the players from the woodwork." He looked around the room. "No Commander McGarret?"

"He's waiting for you in Texas. They're sending MP's from the base to get you back to the Super Max."

"You'll stay with him till he gets there, right?" Eliot asked.

"I'll throw him in his cell myself." The sound of the MP's coming agitated Costello. He turned and rammed Jimmy sending his gun flying. Eliot took a step forward but Kenna was already out of the bathroom. Pulling her knife out of her boot she went for the man's throat.

"I will kill you Costello. Do you hear me? You'll never make it back to Texas in one piece if I have any say in it." She pinned the man against the wall.

"Take it easy." Eliot stood behind Kenna. "Kenna you kill him and it'll be a whole big long investigation. Think about what it would mean to Faith." Eliot moved so he could look her in the eye. "Stand down Kenna. Let Jimmy take care of this." The knife dug into the man's neck.

"Still the feisty one hay there Lieutenant? Did you miss me?" Kenna looked at Eliot. The anger was building with every word the murdering bastard said.

"Let me kill the bastard Eliot. No one but the four of us will have to know what happened."

"You don't have the balls. You couldn't make it in the teams so you ran away. Hid till I found you hiding in the middle of nowhere." Costello's grey eyes sparkled.

"Think about what you could lose." Eliot quietly said. Kenna looked at him. She put her knife back in her boot.

"See, I told you bitch, you didn't have it in you." Eliot pivoted and hit the man with all the anger he was feeling. The older man hit the floor and Kenna figured he probably wouldn't wake up till he got back to Texas. Kenna turned into Eliot's arms. Jimmy cuffed Costello and the MP's hauled him up.

"I'll call you when we land in Texas." Eliot nodded.

"I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and leaned against him.

"Nothing to be sorry for darlin'. You did what you had to do to put this behind you. You played dirty but you got the job done. I'm sorry for doubting you."

"It was kind of a crazy ass stunt." He hugged her.

"I'm glad you said it." Hardison came up to them.

"I guess this is the end of Costello." He watched as the MP's take custody of the killer.

"Not till t hey pull the switch." Kenna got up. Jimmy looked at her.

"You gonna be okay kid?"

"Get him to Texas and get his ass strapped to that damn table and I'll be ecstatic."

"I can guarantee that McGarret will have the papers signed. Take care of our girl Spencer." Jimmy followed the MP's out.

"I think I could learn to like that guy." Kenna looked up at Eliot.

"He does kinda grow on you." She leaned against him. "I could sleep for a week."

"We can sleep when we get home." Eliot looked down at the woman he had spent years trying to forget and now he couldn't imagine life without her. "I think we need to make a side trip to Hawaii."

"Eliot…"

"Kenna I know this is spur of the moment but we need this. I need this." Kenna looked at him. She saw that today had been hard on him. That he needed her to prove that she was in this forever.

"Okay, Hardison make it so." Kenna smiled.

"I got you guys on a flight in the morning. First class. I also got you a suite at Pikes Resort for tonight. It's a few minutes from the airport."

"Why can't we leave tonight?" Eliot asked.

"Because you both look like hell and I for one don't want to see what TSA would do to the two of you." He handed them tickets.

"You knew we were going to Hawaii?"

"I hoped." He smiled. "I got plane to catch so you all can clean up and head to happily ever after."

"Where is this hotel?"

"Gotcha a cab. It's waiting at the curb and McGarret said to leave the mess, he's got people." Hardison was gone.

"He's getting as insane as Parker." Eliot stood and helped Kenna to her feet.

"What just happened?" Kenna looked at Eliot.

"We caught an escaped fugitive, Hardison booked us into a hotel and got us first class tickets to Hawaii and left us all in the span of six minutes"

"Okay, good. I thought I was the one going nuts." Eliot grabbed their bag and handed Kenna her coat. "Is it really over Eliot?" She looked at him.

"Everything but the lecture your gonna get about playing me ever again." Kenna knew that one was going to bite her in the ass big time.

"Can we at least get some rest before you start?" He looked at her pitiful expression. She looked like Faith when she was just about to get revved up for a really good cry.

"I guess I can put it off for the honeymoon." Kenna smiled. "Or maybe if you promise not to do it again I may refrain from yelling all together."

"That sounds like a plan. I promise never to play you again, ever." She kissed him.

"Till the next time I'm sure." He returned the kiss and they both headed to the cab.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"Hardison is up to something." Kenna said from the comfort of the hot tub that was located just outside their room.

"You think?" Eliot handed her a beer and slid into the hot water next to her. "What do you think we're in for when we get home?"

"I'm scared. If he started remolding the apartment we could be in for a long winter." Eliot pulled her into his arms.

"He knows better than to mess with the apartment without proper supervision." Closing his eyes he kissed the top of Kenna's head.

"Faith says hi."

"Did you tell Nate and Sophie we'll be back in a few days?"

"Yeah, do you really want to do this without them?"

"You want a beach wedding and I want it now. We can have a big dinner or whatever when we get home. Hell we can even get married again in front of all of them but Kenna…" He shifted her to his lap and looked into her eyes. "I want you to be my wife before another thing happens that might change your mind."

"What would happen to change my mind?" She wiggled against him.

"A monsoon, a tornado, the apocalypse hell Kenna a change in the weather might throw you off if I'm not careful."

"Are you saying that I'm fickle?"

"I'm saying that I don't want anything to stand in our way of you becoming my wife. If we look to set a date there will be problems with someone making it. My sister or Sophie will have some problem with it or the kids will be sick or my mom won't want to fly that week. Nate will find a job and we won't be home in time or Parker will want purple and pink hippos dancing in the sand." Kenna laughed. "It could happen." He smiled. "Now is the time Kenna."

"Okay, Eliot…we will get married on the beach tomorrow, rain or shine."

"I knew you'd see it my way." He moved and pulled her closer. "I know it sounds really corny but I've wanted this for so long Kenna." Kenna ran her hands through his hair.

"Corny suits you Eliot." She leaned over and kissed him. He pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. "Hard suits you too Spencer." Shifting Kenna slid him inside her.

"You're a bad girl Kenna." He whispered. She started moving slowly.

"You like me that way." Kenna smiled. Eliot's hands moved down her back.

"I can't deny I like the good girl too." He pressed deeper inside her. He kissed her again, his tongue dancing with hers. Eliot held on to her hip with one hand and put the other on the back of her neck, deepening the kiss. Kenna's senses were on overload.

"Eliot…." Kenna moaned. The sound of her voice nearly sent him over the edge. She move against him a little faster. Eliot moved both hands to her hips and he held tight, the water lapping around them.

"I love you Kenna." He whispered in her ear.

"I love you too Eliot." Her hands gripped his shoulders and she moved enough to take them both over the edge. Kenna collapsed against him. "I don't thing I can move." She whispered.

"Darlin' we can't spend the night in here. We'd be shriveled up like prunes." Kenna smiled.

"I guess you're right." She slid off him and moved next to him. "You first." Eliot stood and helped her up and over the edge of the hot tub. He handed her a towel.

"Don't bother with pajama's." She looked at him and smiled. No words could describe how Kenna felt at that moment. She smiled and turned off the lights and slid into bed. Eliot slid in next to her and pulled her close. "Tomorrow…" Was all he said before they both let sleep take them. Kenna knew that this was the start of the forever she always imagined but was to afraid to hope for.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"Tell me about the first time you met Nate?" Kenna was sitting next to him in the nearly empty first class section of the airplane.

"Why do you want to know that?"

"Because. It's a long flight and it's something I don't know." Eliot looked at her and shook his head.

"Nate was hired to plan a heist for a guy who wanted us to steal his plans back from a guy who supposedly stole them from him. The insurance company Nate worked for held the policy on the plans so that's how the guy hooked him."

"So that's how Nate got pulled to the dark side?" Kenna smiled.

"Kinda. It seems we actually stole plans that didn't belong to the guy who hired us to steal them."

"He played you?"

"Played all of us. Then he tried to kill us. Got us all together and blew up the building. We got him back good and made an insane amount of money to boot."

"Sounds like a win, win situation." Kenna curled her left leg under her and leaned back against the window. "What would you of done if you didn't decided to start Leverage Consultants?"

"I guess I would have gone back to what I knew best."

"I'm glad you decided to become a somewhat model citizen then." She reached for his hand and held it in both of hers. "When you say an insane amount money how much are we talking about."

"Let's just say Faith won't be going to a state school." He smiled.

"Should we be sighing some kind of prenup?" Eliot laughed.

"Darlin' if you ever want to leave me you can take all my money 'cause I wouldn't need it." He gripped her hand. "You're the only thing I need Kenna." He said softly.

"You really believe that?" She looked him in the eye.

"Yeah." He leaned over and kissed her. "What are you going to do about a dress?"

"I guess I could go shopping at the airport gift shops."

"Really Kenna…I mean I know this isn't a well thought out plan but you could at least stop at Wal Mart or something." He laughed.

"Do they even have Wal Mart's in Hawaii?" Eliot smiled.

"McGarret said he'd pick us up at the airport, maybe he can suggest a place."

"You have met Steve McGarret right?"

"Maybe someone on his team will be more fashion adept." Kenna leaned over and kissed him.

"I don't care if I have to wear my jeans and cowboy boots as long as your happy Eliot."

"I'm happy Kenna." He pulled her on his lap and kissed her properly. "And I think your are incredibly sexy in your jeans and cowboy boots but I think you want something a little more…"

"Wedding like?" Kenna smiled.

"Yeah, wedding like." The flight attendant came to them.

"We'll be landing soon." She smiled. "Mr. Spencer there was a message for you from the Navy base in Texas." She handed him a piece of paper.

"Thanks." Eliot opened it. "Jimmy got Costello back to Texas. He's scheduled for execution a week from Thursday."

"Thank God." Kenna slid back into her seat. "I hope they can keep him contained that long." Eliot reached for her hand.

"Don't worry darlin', there is no way Costello is going anywhere." Eliot put her arm around her and held her close. He wanted today to be special. Knowing that Costello was safely locked up made the day a little brighter and he hoped that he could make it even better before the day was through.


	12. Chapter 12

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Twelve

"Thank you guys for doing this." Kenna stood in the dress shop with the three women in Steve McGarret's life. His sister Mary Ann, a feisty blond Kenna knew was trouble with a capital T, but she liked the girl anyway. Lieutenant Catherine Rollins was his unofficial girlfriend. If asked neither would admit it. Kono Kalakaua was a part of McGarret's team. They had offered to help her pick out a dress and Kenna couldn't say no.

"Steve is alive because of you so finding a wedding dress is the least we can do for you." Mary Ann smiled.

"It wasn't all me." Kenna looked though the rack of dresses.

"Well he seems to think so." Catherine handed Kenna a dress. "I met your fiancé at the house. You are one lucky girl."

"Thank you. I'm more than lucky."

"Where did you meet him?" Kono stood looking though another rack.

"His sister brought me home one day and I never really left. Then one day he was gone. I spent twenty years trying to forget him." Kenna looked at the dresses the girls hand handed to her. "Then one day he was back in my life and it was like he never left."

"Wow. That is one long love story." Mary Ann handed her one more dress.

"It has been." Kenna went into the dressing room. "I never thought he would ever want me back."

"That kind of love doesn't go away Kenna." Catherine handed her the dresses. "His eyes light up when he says your name. That's real love."

"Thank you." Kenna looked at the younger woman.

"Like you didn't know." She smiled and Kenna started trying on the dresses.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Eliot stood looking at the water with a beer in his hand. It had been a long hard week and he just wanted to put a ring on Kenna's finger and sleep for a week. The sun would be setting in five hours and he would be a married man. It was something he never in a million years saw himself doing.

"Having second thoughts?" Eliot looked up to see Nate standing next to him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hardison thought all your family should be here for this." Sophie came up to them holding Faith.

"Hey sunshine." The little girl kicked and smiled. Sophie handed the little girl to her father.

"I'm pretty sure she missed you." The woman smiled as the little girl touched her dads face like she was seeing if he was real.

"I sure did miss her." He cuddled the little girl close and kissed her cheek. "I think you grew since I saw you last." The baby giggled. "Thank you for bringing her. I knew Kenna was missing her."

"Thank Hardison. He rounded up everyone he could. Your mom, Jodi and Sarah are here too." Eliot looked at the older man.

"I really didn't think it would matter as long as she married me."

"I think that's why he did the thinking for you. McGarret's friends have Kenna shopping for dresses still. She doesn't know we're here." Nate looked at his hitter. "Why don't you spend some time with your daughter."

"Yeah, thanks." Nate and Sophie left him. He sat in the chair that was on the beach and sat Faith in his lap. "What do you think of the beach sunshine?" Eliot ran his finger down the little girl's cheek. "Daddy missed you." He lifted her up and kissed her cheek and cuddled her against his chest. "In a few hours your mom, me and you are gonna be a real family. Not that we aren't now, but it's going to be legal. There hasn't been a whole lot in my life that's fallen under that category lately but I guess it's the one thing I need to be done right." Eliot closed his eyes and sighed. This day was going to be perfect if it was the last thing he did.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"You look perfect." Kono fixed the blue flower in Kenna's hair. The white gauze dress fit Kenna like nothing she had ever owned. The four women had all agreed it was the best choice. They also decided that shoes weren't an option. Kenna looked at herself in the full length mirror in McGarret's bathroom. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just wishing my daughter was here." Kono smiled. She handed Kenna her phone.

"Call her."

"She's eight weeks old."

"Still, call her." Kenna dialed Nate's number.

"Hey Kenna."

"How's my baby?"

"Sassy like her mother." Kenna laughed.

"I wish you were all here." She said. Kenna wasn't going to cry. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned around. Nate stood there with Faith in the most incredible blue flowered dress. Dropping her phone she hugged them both.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She took Faith from him and hugged her close. She smelled for baby powder and old spice. "I wanted to call and ask if you could bring her but…"

"Hardison had it all worked out." Kenna smiled.

"Your Uncle Alec is full of surprises." She looked at Nate. "Does that mean you'll give me away?" He swallowed hard and looked at her.

"You want me to…walk you down the aisle?"

"Please." He smiled.

"How can I say no to that?"

"I'm sorry, Nate, this is Kono."

"Nice to meet you." Nate nodded.

"Do you want me to take Faith? They're starting." Kenna hugged her daughter one last time and handed her to the younger woman.

"I guess this is it." Kenna felt a little light headed.

"Are you okay?"

"Never better." She took his arm. The music started and they left the safety of the house and walked onto the beach, Kenna took a deep breath.

"You pass out on him, he'll never forgive you."

"I know. I can do this Nate, I mean it's just some words and a piece of paper right?"

"Maybe for some people but for you and Eliot it's twenty-seven years of ups and downs to get you to this place where you both know you belong." He stopped and looked at her. "You know this is what was meant to be."

"I know." She kissed his cheek. "Thank you for making me see that." Kenna and Nate walked through the palm trees to the beach. Eliot stood at the water's edge, his hair pulled back, dressed in a white dress shirt and pants. Hardison standing next to him and Parker standing on the other side holding Faith. Eliot turned and his breath caught. Nate and Kenna walked to the beach where the whole family was waiting along with a handful of friends they had made on their trips to Hawaii.

"Kenna…" Eliot took her hand from Nate and nodded.

"Eliot…" He kissed her cheek. They both turned to the minister that McGarret had found for them.

"Dearly beloved I was told to make this short and as painless as possible. So, do you Eliot James Spencer take McKenna Shane Hawks, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do." He looked into the depths of her brown eyes. "Forever." He said softly.

"Do you McKenna Shane Hawks do you take Eliot James Spencer to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do." Kenna smiled. "You're the first boy I ever kissed Eliot Spencer and I want to be my last. Forever."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." Eliot took Kenna's face in his hand and kissed her gently, her lips trembling. Deeping the kiss tears fell down Kenna's cheeks.

"I love you McKenna Shane Spencer." Eliot pulled her close and kissed her again. It was a long time before anyone interrupted them.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"She's beautiful." Steve McGarret came up behind Kenna, she was watching Eliot with Faith.

"She's gonna give her dad a run for his money." She looked at her old friend. "Thank you for doing this."

"Seeing you happy Kenna is all the thanks I need. I thought I'd lost the Kenna I knew."

"I was gone for a long time." She looked at McGarret. "If I that file hadn't of found its way to my desk I might not have ever found Eliot again." Leaning against the pillar she took a long drink of her beer. "I wonder how that happened?" She looked at McGarret.

"Couldn't tell you. It must have been fate."

"Must have." Kenna smiled. "I like Catherine."

"So do I." He took a long drag of his beer. "Just because you found eternal happiness Kenna, doesn't mean we all need to settle down."

"Well you always played by the if Kenna isn't happy, no one's happy rule so I thought maybe if I'm happy everyone should be happy."

"How many beers have you had?" He chuckled. Eliot came up to them.

"You making time with my woman McGarret?"

"I never make it a habit to mess with any woman who can kick my ass and who's husband could kill me with his bare hands." McGarret lifted his beer bottle. "Anyone else need a refill?"

"I'm good." Eliot said.

"Me too." McGarret nodded and headed inside.

"You look very hot in that dress Mrs. Spencer." Eliot leaned over and kissed Kenna.

"Where's Faith?"

"Danny has her. Grace wants a baby sister now thanks to us." He wrapped his arms around her and looked out at their friends and family. "Hardison did good."

"Yeah, he did. We knew he was up to something, but this." Eliot kissed her neck.

"Did I tell you how beautiful you are tonight?"

"I think you might have mentioned it a time or two." She leaned back and let his hands work their magic down her body. "We have guests Eliot."

"Most of which know I haven't been able to keep my hands off you since the day you stepped back into my life." Kenna smiled. "Ahhh don't tense up on me darlin'. Since when has my blatant honesty been a problem?" Only Eliot would have noticed the change in her.

"Never." She relaxed against him again. "I just don't want to embarrass myself by melting into a puddle at your feet. People would talk." It was a control thing and Eliot had known her long enough that he should have gauged her reaction to the mood set by the day.

"We can leave anytime. No one would care." He whispered in her ear and let his hand press just a little harder against the apex between her thighs.

"Eliot…" Kenna moaned. "Please…don't…" He knew her like he knew himself. Maybe better. Pressing himself against her back he swayed to the music coming from the beach. The first time would be hard and fast, she wouldn't have time to catch her breath.

"You ready to leave yet?" He whispered in her ear.

"We have a baby to take care of."

"She's got a grandmother, aunts, uncles and a cousin to take care of her while we take care of each other. One last night before we go back to our lives Kenna Shane." He loved his daughter and missed her something awful the last few days but he also needed her mama.

"I know." She ran her hands down his arms. "Let's say our goodbyes and we can head to the hotel." Turning in his arms she laid her head on his shoulder and snuggled into him. "Promise me it will always feel like this." She whispered.

"If I have anything to say about it darlin' it will." He kissed the top of her head and hugged her close. Nate came up to them.

"Faith is ready to go to bed. Sophie and I were going to take her to the hotel." Kenna released Eliot and hugged Nate.

"Thank you for bringing her here and thank you for being here." Kenna felt the tears well up in her eyes. "Thank you for letting me be part of your lives." Nate hugged her.

"You deserve all the happiness in the world Kenna. If Eliot brings you that, who am I to complain." They both laughed. "He deserves to be happy too and you make him that way. Or at least a little less grumpy." Nate pushed her away and looked into her eyes. "Go start your life together and we'll see you in the morning." He waved to Eliot and headed down the trail to get Sophie and Faith.

"I really like him." Kenna said. Eliot pulled her back into his arms.

"Not too much, I hope?" He kissed her. "Let's kiss our baby goodnight." He took her hand and they headed down the trail to find their daughter and say goodnight

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"Don't fall asleep on me darling'." Eliot looked at Kenna as they road up the elevator.

"It's been a long couple of days." She said softly. Eliot put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her back against him.

"It's all behind us now baby." He kissed her neck. "Unless you have another obsessed fans lurking around somewhere."

"You mean other than you?" Eliot chuckled in her ear. The husky sound sending shivers down her spine.

"Yeah, other than me?" She closed her eyes.

"Absolutely no one but you." Kenna closed her eyes and let the feel of Eliot's arms around her sooth the stress of the last few days. She hardly noticed the door opening until Eliot pushed her forward and headed her toward the room.

"How much did you have to drink?"

"Two beers and glass of Champaign." Eliot unlocked the door. He grabbed Kenna and lifted her up into his arms. "You're really insane you know that Spencer." She smiled and leaned over and kissed him as he carried her over the thresh hold. He walked her over to the bed and laid her down.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on me woman."

"I could never fall asleep with a man of your caliber willing to service me." She smiled. Eliot laid down next her and pulled her into his arms.

"Are you saying I'm worth staying up for Mrs. Spencer?" He leaned over and kissed her.

"Damn straight cowboy." He deepened the kiss and rolled on top of her, parting her legs with his knee. "Oh God Eliot…I didn't think you make me feel any more incredible." Sliding his hand under her dress he kissed her again this time letting his tongue explore her mouth.

"See it can get better if you make it legal." He slowly pulled down her panties. Kenna closed her eyes and let the pleasure wash over her. Eliot had been right. Making it legal had increased the way he made her feel. Her reaction to him at the reception should have told him as much.

"I love you Eliot." Kenna whispered against his lip. The sound of those words were the sweetest sound he ever heard. It didn't take him long to dispense of their clothing and bury himself deep inside her. He closed his eyes as her tight wetness surrounded him. He wasn't going to last and she did care because she was almost over the edge already.

"I love you too McKenna." He groaned as he exploded inside her and she screamed his name as she tumbled over the edge too. 'Damn it was better legal' was his last coherent thought before he let exhaustion take over. Pulling the bedspread over them Kenna was right behind him.


	13. Chapter 13

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Thirteen

"Nate we're blown." Eliot called from the dark hallway. "Is Parker with you?"

"_Yeah, get out, we're all safe."_ Nate told him. Eliot hit the door running but it didn't stop the two hundred and fifty pound guard from coming after him. He was pretty fast for a big guy and Eliot knew that he was going to have to fight his way out of this one way or another. Stopping on a dime he pivoted and swung his elbow, striking the bigger man across the jaw.

"You're not gonna make this easy are you?" Eliot said when the man didn't go down after consecutive punches to the jaw. The man shook his head. "Didn't think so." Eliot pulled his fist back and aimed it to the man's midsection.

"_Eliot, are you coming?" Nate's voice echoed in his ear._

"I'm a little busy Nate." He growled, pounding the man's face into his knee.

"_The police are on their way. You need to get out of there now."_

"Really Nate, thanks for the reminder." Eliot took one last swing at the man and threw him hard against the brick wall. "I'm coming out." He said and headed for the nearest exit.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You're quiet tonight." Eliot sat on the couch with an ice pack on his shoulder. It had been three weeks since they had gotten back from Hawaii and things had settled into a comfortable routine. Kenna worked with them when she was needed. Hardison had been teaching her some of the geek aspects of the job so she could stay home with Faith. Sherri watched the baby when Kenna's skills were needed elsewhere but mostly Kenna had been staying out of the day to day workings of the jobs.

"I guess I didn't sleep very well the last few nights." She sat next to him, legs underneath her.

"Faith kept you up?" Eliot looked at her. She was tense. Anyone else wouldn't have thought so but he knew. If everything had been okay she would have been closer, almost if not touching him.

"No, she's started sleeping pretty much through the night this past week." She shifted a little and Eliot reached for her hand. It was ice cold.

"Kenna what's wrong?" She didn't look at him, she just pulled her hand away. "Kenna?"

"I just haven't been able to sleep. I'm cold all the time and I just can't keep warm." He had noticed her wearing her sweatshirt around the house more and more lately. He pulled her onto his lap.

"You should of said something sooner Kenna."

"It comes and goes." She curled up in his arms. He had been in and out all week and never really noticed Kenna's mood had changed till now.

"Maybe you should see a doctor."

"I'll be fine Eliot, really." Her hand touched his face. "Don't worry about me." But he did worry about her. When Kenna wasn't the outgoing, outspoken, fireball he was used to it scared him.

"Kenna, I am worried." He ran his hand through her hair. "Even when you were pregnant you didn't miss a step." Eliot looked into her eyes. They weren't bright and full of mischief like he was used to. "Let me call Nate and Sophie to watch Faith and let me take you in."

"You forget, I'm a nurse. It's just a bug, Eliot really." Her eyes grew heavy with every stroke of her hair. "I just need some rest and a bowl or two of your chicken soup and I'll be back to normal." She smiled a little smile. "Trust the medical professional." She snuggled into him.

"If you're not feeling better by tomorrow Kenna, I'm taking you to the doctors." Closing her eyes she sunk into his warmth. She knew it wasn't worth fighting over. She would be better by tomorrow after a good night's sleep and the love of the man holding her. As sleep overtook her Kenna felt herself warming up. She would be better by morning and Eliot wouldn't have to worry about her anymore.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

Eliot sat in the waiting room of the ER. Around midnight Kenna's fever spiked to a hundred and three. By the time he got her to the hospital it was a hundred and four point nine. Nate handed him a cup of coffee.

"I just called Sophie. Faith is doing fine."

"Good. I was worried that she wasn't going to like waking up without Kenna." Eliot looked up at the older man. "She didn't want to come last night. I told her that if she wasn't better by the morning I was going to bring her in."

"How bad was it last night?"

"She was cold. She told me that she'd been feeling cold on and off for a few days." The doctor came in. Eliot stood.

"Mr. Spencer?"

"Yeah, how's Kenna?"

"The fever hasn't gone down much but we're doing everything we can to cool her down. Have you been on a trip recently?" Eliot looked at the older man. He closed his eyes and tried to think. He opened his eyes

"How recent?"

"The last month or so."

"Alaska, Hawaii, Argentina, Texas and Seattle."

"In the last month?" Nate looked at Eliot then the doctor.

"We're insurance investigators. They travel a lot. They got married in Hawaii three weeks ago." Nate answered for him.

"You are?"

"Nate Ford. Kenna's brother."

"Okay. I guess we should start with Argentina. How long ago were you there?"

"Two weeks ago. We were there for a little over twenty four hours." Eliot seemed to have gotten his mind back on the task at hand.

"How long has she been feeling sick?"

"When I got home last night she wasn't feeling right, that she was cold. She said she's been feeling cold on and off for a few days but last night was the first time she mentioned anything."

"Was she shaking?"

"No but her hands were like ice. I wrapped a blanket around her and she fell asleep. Around eleven the baby fussed so I laid Kenna in bed and took care of Faith. It was midnight before I got back to bed. I lay next to her and she was burning up."

"Okay, I put a rush on her blood test so as soon as I know something, you'll know something. You'll be able to see her in a few minutes. I'll have the nurse come get you. I knew Kenna when she worked for fire and rescue…you're a lucky man Mr. Spencer."

"Thanks." Eliot nodded. The doctor left the room and he turned to Nate."Thanks for saving my ass back there."

"You were worried about Kenna. Hardison will have it all in place before any one questions it."

"Thanks. I'm sorry I have to leave Faith with you again."

"Eliot she's no problem. We enjoy having her."

"I hope she doesn't get sick."

"We'll keep an eye on her." The nurse came in.

"Mr. Spencer…you can see you wife now." Eliot nodded.

"Thanks again Nate." Eliot followed the nurse. The room was dimly lit and the monitors gave off a rhythmic sound.

"We hooked her on an IV for the antibiotics and fluids."

"I thought they didn't know what was wrong with her."

"They start broad spectrum antibiotics on all possible infections." The nurse looked at Kenna. "She was a little dehydrated too." Eliot went to her side.

"I didn't even know she was feeling sick."

"There are a lot of things that hit you hard and fast. The blood tests will be back soon." Eliot touched Kenna's hand and it was burning up. Less than four hours ago it was ice cold. "If you need anything, just press the call button." The nurse smiled and left the room.

"Kenna?" She looked so pale. Her eyes fluttered. Eliot ran his hand over her hair. "I'm right here honey." Even when she was younger she had never been sick.

"Eliot?" Her voice was horse. "Where?"

"The hospital. You had a fever and I couldn't wake you up."

"What?" She had a hard time talking.

"They don't know yet. I'm sure you just picked up a virus someplace. You haven't been sleeping so I'm sure your immune system isn't up to par."

"I never get sick." Kenna closed her eyes again. "Faith?"

"She's fine. Sophie came up to watch her."

"Sorry." She whispered.

"Nothing to be sorry for baby." He stroked her cheek. "We will find out what this is."

"I feel like crap."

"Can I safely say you look like crap?"

"Yeah, without me strong enough to do anything about it." She tried smiling.

"You know even looking like crap you're my dream girl." Eliot smiled.

"You are such a liar Eliot Spencer." She gripped his hand. "Eliot, I'm scared."

"I know. But the doctor said he would come and talk to us as soon he got your blood tests back. Till then we just sit tight and hope for the best."

"You suck at pep talks Spencer." She looked at him. He was scared. If Kenna hadn't felt like crap she would have been scared herself. "I'm gonna be okay Eliot."

"I know. No little ol' bug would dare try and take you out for long." The doctor knocked and came in without pretence.

"Mrs. Spencer…its good to see you awake."

"It's good to be awake."

"Well we are going to try to keep it that way. All the test lead to one thing. It seems you contract malaria on your trip to Argentina. "

"I've had all the immunizations."

"It's been a few years since you last had a dose." The doctor looked at his chart. "I'm going to start you on Doxycycline and we will see how your body reacts and go from there."

"Faith…I'm breastfeeding…I know I should know this but…"

"She can't contract it from you and the meds won't affect her in anyway. I promise." He looked at her. "You're a healthy woman Mrs. Spencer. This hit you hard and fast but it'd not going to keep you down long. We'll start the IV meds and if all goes well you can be out of you in a few days." Relief played across Eliot's face. "You both look like you need some rest. I'll get the nurse to bring in a cot for you Mr. Spencer."

"Thank you." Eliot shook the man's hand. The doctor nodded.

"I'll see you in the morning." The doctor left and Eliot leaned over and kissed Kenna.

"See baby, I told you it wasn't going to be as bad as you thought it was."

"You also said I looked like crap." He smiled.

"I told you I would never lie to you darlin'." He brushed the hair out of her face. "Next time you start feeling sick, tell me before the ambulance ride to the hospital, okay?"

"You got it." Kenna smiled, closed her eyes. "Make sure they give me something really good in my IV bag."

"I'll get right on that. Jack and coke alright with you?"

"Gotta love a man who knows what a girl wants." She shifted to her side and took his hand in hers. Soon she was fast asleep and Eliot's cot was delivered. He didn't want to move from Kenna's side.

"I don't think Dr. Jacobs would mind if you don't want to use the cot. Sometimes just the contact helps. Once I put this up I won't be in until it runs out." The nurse smiled. "Kenna's fighter."

"You know her?"

"She worked a few shifts when I was in the ER. She never takes crap from anyone. I've seen her take down a drunk on a Friday night without missing a step."

"That's my Kenna." The nurse handed him a blanket.

"You're a lucky man." She quietly left. Eliot looked at Kenna. He was lucky. The girl he had fallen in love with all those years ago turned into one hell of a woman. More than he ever thought he deserved. Shaking off his impending dread, he reached into his pocket to call Nate and tell him things weren't as bad as they seemed and Kenna would be okay.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"I can't believe a little bug can kick someone's ass like that." Parker sat at the foot of Kenna's bed.

"It's kind of a scary thought." Kenna answered. It had been three days and she was ready to go home but her fever kept spiking on and off and the doctor was trying to adjust her medication. Parker had brought her a ton of magazines but she wasn't used to sitting still for very long.

"Eliot's getting really cranky."

"Really, I hadn't noticed."

"He doesn't act that way around you. He walks into the room with a smile on his face. Kenna, he's faking it for you." Parker thought maybe she was saying too much but it all came out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop it.

"Parker, what are you saying?"

"I'm just saying. I mean he's so good with Faith. He never growls at her or even gets stressed when she cries for hours but he snaps at the rest of us. You really need to come home."

"I would love to Parker, I would really love to make your life easier by coming home but I'm pretty much stuck here till they figure out what the hell to give me." Kenna took a deep breath. "Parker, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She got off the bed. "I'm getting used to it." She headed out the door.

"Parker!" Kenna watched the younger woman's retreating form. "Damn it." She threw the magazine she was reading and closed her eyes. She wouldn't cry. Not again.

"What did I miss?" Eliot was standing in the door way.

"Just go home Eliot." Kenna didn't open her eyes. "Just go take care of Faith and stop being a bastard to everyone else."

"Parker's tattling again?" He took a step into the room.

"I can't deal with this right now. I can barely mother the child I have and the rest of you think that I hold the key to everyone else's happiness." She looked at him. "I can't be that person." Eliot leaned against the wall. She really didn't do sick well.

"No one expects you to be darlin'. The doctor come and see you yet?"

"No, he's late and I really need to get the hell out of here."

"And Parker says I'm the grump."

"Really, Spencer, you gonna stand there and be a smart ass." He didn't want to fight with her. He fought with Parker, Hardison and Nate today and it wasn't even eight o'clock. The doctor came in behind Eliot.

"Good morning." Kenna looked at the older man.

"It's about damn time." Kenna grumbled.

"Someone not get her coffee this morning?" The doctor looked at his chart.

"Not you too." Kenna rolled his eyes.

"Good luck with her doc." Eliot pushed himself off the wall and went to sit on the chair furthest away from his wife. He wasn't going to get hit with her egg plate when the doctor told her she wasn't going home today.

"Your temperature has been normal for nearly twelve hours so I'm going to release you with some stipulations." Eliot looked at his wife and she looked like she was ready to yank the IV out of her arm and bolt.

"And those would be?"

"You need rest Kenna. I know you have a new baby at home and Eliot is out of town now and then but I need you to take it easy for the next few weeks. The longer you rest and get healthy the less likely you'll have a relapse. Hire a nanny, a maid, have friend come over but please do not make me sorry that I'm sending you home."

"Thank you."

"I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for my nurses." He signed her chart. "You have made even my most patient nurses play rock, paper, scissors to see who gets to take your temperature." He looked at her. "I mean it Kenna. Two weeks. No steps unless it's the only way to get to where you NEED to go. No lifting anything heavier than your daughter."

"What about sex?" She glared at the physician.

"If Eliot ever speaks to you again after this morning I think I may foresee a little make up sex in your future. Just don't overdo it." The doctor wrote a few more things down on her chart. "I'll have you paper work done within an hour. Eliot you might want to get your wife a decent cup of coffee if she's going to face people who can't medicate her." The doctor turned and Eliot tried to hide a smile behind his hand.

"Your liking this a little too much Eliot." Kenna glared at him.

"I just want you home and happy darlin'."

"Don' t darlin' me Eliot James Spencer." He stood and went to sit on the bed next to her.

"Kenna, we've both been difficult to live with the last few days and I know I owe a few people an apology or two so let's get you home and maybe your sunny disposition will return."

"You can only hope." Kenna closed her eyes. "You heard the doctor. Go get me a decent cup of coffee." Eliot didn't move. "Please." She opened her eyes and looked into his. "I'm sorry. I never have done the whole hospital thing well. I think even the OB nurses had a hit put out on me."

"I don't think your were that bad but I think once you get back to your own bed you'll feel better. I do think I better get you out of here before the nurses stage a coup that not even I can save your ass from." He leaned over and kissed her. "We'll mend fences on pole at a time."

"Why do you put up with me?" She touched his cheek.

"Because even on our worse day I still want to share the world with you and baby you don't find that kinda love too often now a days." Kenna smiled. It was rare that two people fit as well as her and Eliot did. Even when they fought you could tell they were made for each other.


	14. Chapter 14

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Fourteen

"I owe you all an apology." Eliot stood in front of the big screens in Nate's office/apartment. "I was pretty hard to live with the last few days and I'm sorry." Nate looked up from his newspaper.

"I hadn't noticed." He said offhandedly. Parker looked skeptical.

"You were really grumpy." Parker crossed her hands over her chest.

"My wife was sick Parker. I had…issues." He looked at the other two people in the room. "Are we good?"

"How's Kenna?" Sophie asked.

"She has to rest for a couple of more weeks. Light lifting and no exertion if she can help it."

"Is she going to apologize?" Parker asked.

"Yeah, she owes you and about a half a dozen nurses an apology and I'm sure you're going to be on the top of her list." Eliot looked at his friends. "I had no right to act the way I did and treat you badly. I know you were all just trying to help. Between Kenna and Faith I've been running myself ragged and I just didn't know how to handle it."

"It was like it used to be. Before Kenna saved us." Parker looked at him.

"I'm sorry Parker. Faith has been cranky and it just rubbed off on me I guess."

"Now you're blaming then infant?" Hardison looked at him.

"Okay, I've been mean, crabby and unbearable because I have a baby that doesn't sleep, a wife that doesn't do illness well and my damn coffee maker broke down two days ago and the hospital coffee sucks." Nate chuckled.

"Welcome to married life." Sophie hit Nate's shoulder.

"Really Nate, that's all you have to say?" She glared at him.

"You hate hospitals just as much as Kenna, even more I think." Nate looked at Eliot. "We have Faith for a few hours, you go get some rest and take care of your wife and Hardison and Parker will go get you a new coffee maker."

"I don't need you to do that."

"That's what friends are for Eliot." Nate stood. "We have a job pending but we can put it off till Kenna's better."

"She doesn't want to put us behind. Sherri said she'd do whatever she can to help out. "Eliot looked at the four people in front of him. "Thank you for sticking around even when I'm not the easiest to live with. There are days I don't want to live with me."

"Go get some rest. We have things under control." Nate said.

"Thanks." Eliot left.

"Do you really think he can get back in sync after the last three days?" Sophie looked at Nate.

"I think Eliot will be fine by tomorrow. All he needs is some time." He got up. "We have a client meeting in ten minutes." Nate looked at the rest of the team. "He will be back to normal by the time we need him." He had all the confidence in the world his hitter would be back on his game as soon as he his wife was going to be back on hers.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"You really didn't have to serve me dinner in bed Eliot. I could have gotten up."

"I know. I just want to make sure you stay healthy." He took the tray and set it on the floor next to the bed. "The new client is local so I'll be home every night. I think Nate feels sorry for me." Kenna laughed. No one felt sorry for Eliot Spencer, even on a bad day.

"Why, because you have to put up with me? He smiled.

"No because I have to put up with me." He touched her cheek. "I'm not a nice person when you're not around."

"That's not a good trait." She curled her legs up and put her knees under her chin. "I may not always be here Eliot."

"You plan on dying on me Kenna Shane or leaving me?" She looked at him, the smile gone from her face.

"I would never leave you on purpose. Not anymore."

"Not anymore? Did you think about it recently?"

"Not since the consortium set me free." She tilted her head and laid her chin on her knees. "Happiness has always been just out of my range. Till you came back into my life."

"I think you might just be softening up on me darlin'."

"I just might be." He leaned in and kissed her. Eliot knew that she was feeling fragile and weak and in her eyes that was unacceptable. Pushing her down on the bed he deepened the kiss and ran his hand up her shirt.

"Definitely not getting soft." He said against lips. Kenna shifted and took him between her legs.

"Nobody can accuse you of that either cowboy." She smiled and he kissed her deeply and pulled lightly on her nipple. "I'll give you three or four days to stop that." She moaned.

"The doctor told you its fine in moderation."

"Apparently he has never seen our excessive. " Shifting she pressed him against the apex of her thighs. Kissing her deeper Eliot slid his hand down and pulled down her panties.

"Did you miss me a little bit Kenna Shane." His finger brushed against her wetness. Not saying a word she undid the button on his jeans and pulled them down just enough to release him from their confines. "I take that as a yes." He groaned.

"I miss you when you go to the corner for coffee." She purred against his lips. He smiled and pressed into her slowly. Closing his eyes he pressed his lips against the curve of her neck and nibbled a little. "Spencer you're killing me." She wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him deeper inside her.

"I don't want to do that darlin'." He moved inside her and felt the emptiness of the last three days leave him. "I don't ever want to go through what I did the last few days, ever again." He kissed her again before she could say another word. Eliot took his time taking her over the edge.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

(Three Weeks Later)

"Something bothering you Eliot?" Nate sat across from his hitter at a little diner in West Texas. The rest of the team hadn't made it down to breakfast yet of a long night of gathering intel.

"Nothing worth taking about." The younger man said, not looking up from his coffee.

"It sounds like you need to talk about it." Eliot looked up as his friend.

"This case is kinda getting to me." Nate knew that it would. When kids were involved they always played it a little closer to the vest and tried a little harder to get it right the first time. When evil corrupt land owners and lawyers were involved it got messy.

"You should call home."

"Kenna wouldn't like that very much."

"You need to know that Faith's okay. She'll get that." Nate looked up and smiled. "Or maybe she already knew you needed her." Eliot turned around to see Kenna.

"I was getting really board in Boston with nothing to do but change diapers and watch Sports Center so I decided to pack up my three month old and hit the road." She slid the car seat with Faith in it next to her father, kissing him and then slid herself in next to Nate. "Hey cowboy." Her smile was like sunshine and when Faith saw her father she squealed with delight.

"I thought you had a doctor's appointment?" Eliot asked as he unbuckled his daughter from her seat.

"I did. He said I was in perfect health and that a trip to a warmer, dryer climate is just what I needed." The waitress came up and smiled.

"Coffee?"

"Yes, please." The woman poured her a cup and left. "She wouldn't sleep till we got on the plane and then she woke up just as we landed. I think the kid thinks she needs to be moving to sleep." Eliot smiled.

"I think she just missed me." Kenna smiled.

"Yeah, that's probably it. How's the job coming along?" Nate pushed a file over and Kenna opened it.

"Sixteen kids were found on that farm last year and no one did a damn thing about it. Not the DEA, or the border patrol or the government." It happened a lot in Texas, Kenna knew. Illegal's crossing the boarder to work for wealthy farm owners but these kids were US citizens with families that missed them.

"The kids run away and end up here?"

"Offered drugs and a life a freedom." Eliot looked at Kenna. "A way to escape their real lives. " Kenna knew all about that. Both her and Eliot had ran from Kentucky all those years ago for the exact reason.

"Jackson's parents didn't think his life was that bad." Nate look at Kenna. She looked at the file. "He did well in school, had friends, a girlfriend."

"He was gay." Kenna looked at the picture of the boy, no more than fifteen. "That's about the only thing that will make a perfectly happy child run for freedom." Kenna looked at Eliot. He had Faith sitting on the table hand he was letting her pull his hair.

"You can tell that from his picture."

"Pretty much it's in the eyes." Kenna looked back at the picture. "His parents would of never know because of the girlfriends he always had. But they never stayed long and they all stayed friends."

"How do you know all this?" Eliot asked.

"I took a few classes." She said. Eliot knew there was a lot they were still keeping to themselves and he also knew Kenna would share when she needed to. Kenna paged through the file. "This guy is taking advantage of these kids."

"Are you saying that you want to help us?" Nate smiled.

"I have an infant to take care of but I will do what I can. I'm not leaving her in the van with Hardison."

"I won't let you leave our daughter in the van." Eliot said as he snuggled the little girl to his chest. "I won't let your mama leave you in the smelly van with Uncle Alec." He whispered.

"Really Eliot." Kenna shook his head. "So this guy is hiring teenage runaways to harvest his crops?"

"That's the least of his crimes." Eliot ground out.

"Then let's get him." Kenna looked at her husband. He knew that look. It was the look she got when she her mind was thinking up devious ways to bend peoples will to match her own.

"I guess we have to steal a farm." Nate looked at the two of them. "So, let's go steal a farm." Nate looked at them. "We have to leave and go steal a farm now." Kenna looked at him.

"Not before I have my coffee." She said. Nate shook his head.

"Is she always like this?" He asked Eliot.

"Before her coffee, she is." He smiled. "You should know that by now." Faith grabbed a good handful of hair and pulled. Screeching at the same time. "Apparently she didn't get her coffee either." Kenna grabbed a bottle from her bag and handed it to her husband.

"She hasn't eaten since we left Boston." Eliot cradled Faith and gave her the bottle. "She missed you."

"I missed her." He missed both of them more then he could ever admit to. Kenna finished her coffee stood up.

"I'm gonna go freshen up and we can get to that whole stealing a farm thing." Leaning over she kissed Eliot and headed to the ladies room.

"Did you know she was coming?" Eliot looked at Nate.

"No, I did not know that she was coming. I'm glad she's here. I need you focused."

"It's my job to keep you and the team safe." He looked down at his daughter. She was almost asleep.

"And you've never failed me." Nate looked at him. "But it helps to have the whole family here." He watched Eliot gently put Faith in her seat. It still amazed him that someone who could beat someone within an inch of his life could be so gentle with a child.

"It sounds like a plan." He smiled. Kenna came back to the table.

"Okay I we ready to light this guy up?" Eliot looked at her.

"That must have been some cup of coffee." He buckled Faith in and they headed to the hotel to come up with a plan.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Eliot I can do this." Kenna looked at him. Her hands on her hips and her hair up in a pony tail. "You're going to be there, you got the job as a ranch hand."

"Kenna, this guy is killin' kids." He glared at her.

"That's why we need to stop this now." Kenna didn't back down. "He makes these kids feel safe and then pulls the rug out from under them." She looked at Faith lying in the middle of the bed. "Would you want a guy like him preying on her?"

"That's low even for you Kenna. Using our kid to make a point." He growled.

"You of all people know when home gets to rough there isn't a whole lot of options." Again pulling a card he couldn't argue with.

"Who's going to watch Faith while you're playing this guy?"

"Sophie." Kenna sat on the bed and crossed her legs under her. Eliot shook his head. He never saw how ungodly young she looked without make up and her hair up.

"She's okay with that?" He knew he wouldn't win this argument with his wife, but he wasn't going to make it easy.

"Yeah, she's okay with that." Kenna crossed her arms over her chest. "You know I can take care of myself Eliot."

"I know. I also know that this man has taken kids in their sleep and made them disappear." He looked at Faith playing on the bed. She was only three months old but he didn't know how he lived without the little girl in his life. How had parents of teenagers dealt with the loss of their child. How had Nate survived after Sam? "The first sign of trouble you hall ass out of that compound and don't look back Kenna. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" The harshness in his voice scared the child in the middle of the bed and she looked at her father, startled. "Sorry darlin'." He went to her as the tears welled up in her blue eyes. "Momma just needed a stern talkin' to." She smiled and reached for his hair. He couldn't imagine what Nate felt. "I mean it Kenna." He looked at her. "I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you or Faith, now or ever."

"Eliot, I'm not going anywhere, either is Faith." She touched his shoulder. "You're stuck with us Spencer." He leaned over and kissed her.

"I've had worse punishments." Faith squealed when her father stopped paying attention to her. "Someone is a little needy." He sat on the bed next to the baby and blew raspberries into her belly. Kenna smiled. Eliot was the father she knew he would be.

"I love you Eliot." Kenna watched him with their daughter. He looked over at her.

"I love you too." He smiled. Kenna got up and laid her head next to his.

"I can do this Eliot. I was a broody alcoholic teenager once. I know how they feel. "

"You swallow a GPS." She squinted and looked at him.

"You're insane Spencer." Kenna laughed. He pulled a capsule out of his pocket. "No."

"It's harmless." He smiled. "Hardison said so." Kenna shook her head.

"He also said that shoe alarm would work and it nearly electrocuted me. I'm not swallowing that." She said shaking her head.

"Then you don't go in."

"Sew it into my jacket, insert it into my shoe but Eliot I am not swallowing that."

"Then you're not going to that farm." He held it in front of her.

"If my stomach explodes, you'll be sorry Spencer." She grabbed it and swallowed it. Eliot leaned over and kissed her. Faith was not happy that the raspberries stopped and she pulled her father's hair.

"Little girl you are going straight to the moon." He rolled over and lifted the girl above his head.

"She pukes on you I'm not saving you." Kenna got up. "I'm ordering Chinese, what do you want?"

"Kung pau with garlic sauce." He played with Faith till dinner arrived then he fed her a bottle and put her into the portable crib fast asleep.

"Someday she's gonna do that for me." Kenna set out the food and poured them both some tea.

"Maybe when she's twelve." He sat across from her. Grabbing the chopsticks he looked at his wife. "She just wants you to herself Kenna, that's why she doesn't sleep for you. It's the only time she has all to herself."

"She's three months old."

"Babies aren't dumb Kenna. Our kid especially. " He looked over at the little girl sleeping in the corner. "We're gonna have our hands full, you know that don't you." Kenna smiled.

"I think you can handle it Spencer." She handed him a beer.

"I know you can handle it Kenna." They clinked their bottles in a toast. The next few days we're going to be hard on all of them and sleep would be the farthest thing from their minds.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

A/N: Thank you to all who keep reading my stuff…grammar mistakes and all. For all of you, who plant ideas in my head, thank you. For those of you who plant voices in my head…well you know what I think about that too. Keep reading and please review.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: This chapter was only edited once and at night so please bare with me for any grammar or other mistakes I've made. I know…but its been a long week. Thank you for those who are still reading and even though you don't tell me now I know your there after a three day glitch in the system. And to CharleyMom and speedlesweetie my two biggest inspirations, you know you both ROCK.

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Fifteen

"You are a very beautiful girl, Ms. Reynolds." Jerrod Chappell looked at Kenna. "Tell me about your home life."

"My mother wasn't very loving I drank, rebelled and ran away. What more do you need to know."

"How did you hear about my little get away?"

"The internet. There's a buzz about the man in Texas who gives you a chance to start over." The man looked at her.

"I don't think this is the program for you Ms. Reynolds." Kenna fidgeted.

"Mr. Chappell I hate my parents. I know you have heard it a million times but I really do hate them. That's saying a lot since I never met my dad. I was fifteen when my boyfriend left me pregnant and alone. I didn't know I was pregnant so I drank for two months straight and lost the one piece of him that might have kept me from going off the deep end. So please Mr. Chappell, tell me again why I don't need your program."

"_She's getting so much better at this." Hardison said. Eliot glared at him. "I'm just saying. I believe she's a seventeen year old run away."_

"I'll have my foreman set you up in the dorm." Chappell buzzed the outer office and a young man, no more than twenty came through the door.

"Riley, show Ms. Reynolds to the women's dorm."

"Yes sir." The boy took Kenna's bag. She followed him.

"Bugs and eyes set." Kenna whispered. The boy in front of her was a trained soldier. Maybe not formally trained but a soldier, none the less. "How long have you been here?" She caught up so she was walking next to the young man.

"Sixteen months." He answered in a clipped tone.

"Chappell seems pretty cool."

"He's a slave driver but he does it so your learn discipline. By the time you leave here you'll be able to stand on your own."

"Have many left?" Riley's head snapped around and looked at her.

"Many. They have gone on to lead fulfilling, productive lives."

"That's great." She said softly. There was something in the young man's eyes that made Kenna think that Riley wasn't so innocent in the disappearance Jackson and the others. He turned and led her down a corridor and into a large room. There were about five other girls in the room reading or talking to each other. Riley hadn't knocked or even announced he was coming in to a room full of teenage girls.

"New girl, Kenna Reynolds…teach her the rules." He threw her bag onto the cot and started going through it.

"Hey…that's my stuff." She reached for Riley and the boy went to slam Kenna in the face but she saw it coming and arched herself out of the way. "You gotta be kidding me. I just left a control freak of a mother to come here." Kenna glared at the boy that stood in front of her.

"You come near me again and I will have Chappell take care of you myself." Riley growled. He dumped her bag on the bed and her phone fell out. He grabbed it. "Against the rules. The girls will fill you in on the rest of them." He turned and left.

"Wow you pissed off the errand boy big time." The blond sitting on the cot next to hers said. "I'm Amy." She held out her hand. Kenna shook it.

"Kenna."

"That's Eve, Kayla, Millie, and Dawn." She pointed to the other girls. "First rule, stay away from Riley. He's weird and wired to Chappell by ESP or something." Kenna smiled.

"I thought this place was supposed to be a freedom."

"It is, from our parents." Kenna looked around. The place was sparsely decorated with bunks to hold up to fourteen girls.

"_You okay Kenna?" Eliot's voice echoed in her ear._

"Yeah, well this isn't very free." Kenna said answering Eliot and keeping up the conversation.

"We're just now finding that out." Amy threw herself on the bed. "It used to be better, but some kid tried to make a run for it and fell off the face of the earth or something."

"What's your story Kenna?" Eve asked.

"Same as everyone's I guess. Mom wasn't my biggest fan so I bolted."

"Parents really need to get a clue." Amy turned on her stomach and looked at Kenna. "The boys in this place are a little lacking but if we come within spitting distance of them, Riley or the ranch hands Chappell starts handing out demerits."

"I think I may have just walked into a concentration camp." Kenna said more to the people listening outside the wall then to the ones in the room.

"_Kenna, you get what we need and get the hell out of there. I don't like the way this is playing out." Nate said. _

"Oh but did you see the new ranch hand?" Eve smiled. "I would do hard time for that one. The hair, the muscles are to die for." Kenna smiled.

"So what other rules should I abide by so I don't get the wraith of Riley?" Kenna asked the girls. That started a very long and detailed list of dos and don'ts that lasted till lights out at ten. Kenna excused herself to go to the bathroom. "Eliot?" She ran the water so her whispers would be masked.

"_Yeah."_

"Seems you have a fan club already." She whispered.

"_I heard. How are you holding up darlin'?"_

"I need a hug." She let herself slide down the wall and sit on the floor.

"_Wish I was there." He said softly._

"Bonus, my stomach hasn't exploded from Hardison's GPS pill."

"_The nights still young." He chuckled. "If you need me tonight, you know where I'll be."_

"How's my girl?"

"_Sleeping."_

"She would sleep when I'm not around." Kenna smiled.

"_I told you she just doesn't want to miss her time with her mama."_

"I should get back to the dorm."

"_Keep your ear bud on."_

"So you can make sure I'm still breathing?"

"_I miss your snoring." Kenna laughed and got up. _

"Night cowboy. I love you." She whispered as she went into the dorm.

"_Night darlin'. I love you too."_ Kenna crawled into the uncomfortable lonely bed. She wasn't sure what tomorrow would bring but she hoped it brought proof so they could shut Chappell down and put a few minds at ease.

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0

"See, isn't he hot?" Amy was next to Kenna as they picked beats.

"Who?"

"The new horse guy." Kenna looked up.

"I guess. If you like that type."

"_You think your cute Spencer?" Eliot growled in her ear._

"How can you not like that?" Amy smiled.

"It's not about liking it's about knowing the type." Kenna looked at the young woman next to her. "I dated bad boys all my life. Getting kinda old."

"Bad boy or not he's really, really hot."

"Remember the rules Amy."

"I know." She pouted. "I hate this place sometimes."

"Why are you here?"

"My dad was a jerk and he said if I didn't want to go to college, get out of his house. So here I am."

"Stop with the chatter ladies." Riley came up behind them and stood over the two women. His foot shifted sending Kenna forward. She looked up to see the anger in Eliot's eyes. Her foot shot out taking Riley to the ground. Standing up she looked at the boy.

"Touch me, push me or look at me wrong I will make you regret it." Riley stood up.

"Now you are gone missy." He grabbed for her arm. Kenna pushed Amy behind her. He missed her arm and nearly landed on his face.

"Amy go." Kenna told the girl.

"Kenna…"

"Go!" Riley lunged for her again. Eliot had stopped what he was doing and looked at her. She shook her head, stopping him from coming to help her.

"You have no right to give orders around here." The boy glared at her.

"You have no right to touch me or any other person on this farm." Kenna stood, her feet planted ready for whatever the young man threw at her.

"_Don't push him Kenna. Nothing stings worse to a teenage boy than having a girl get the better of him." Eliot growled in her ear. "He's not worth it."_

"You're going to regret this Reynolds." Riley stormed to the out building behind Eliot. As he passed he glared at the older man. "Get back to work or I'll take care of you too."

"You got him pissed Kenna." Amy said from behind her. Kenna turned. The girl was shaking her head. "Chappell is going to come down hard on you."

"He pushed me Amy. Is that how he treats everyone here?"

"Pretty much. Jackson, a kid who was here few months ago walked out and told him to eat shit and die."

"He just walked out?"

"Yeah, grabbed his bag from the dorm and walked out the gate." Kenna looked up and saw Eliot headed toward the barn.

"Are you sure he made it out?" Kenna glanced back at Amy.

"Pretty sure. One of the other guys saw him in town the next day."

"Maybe we're looking in the wrong place." Kenna said softly.

"_I'm going to see what Riley's up to and you're packing your things and getting the hell out." Eliot said._

"_I'm with Eliot Kenna, we can't risk that Riley might retaliate." Nate agreed._

"I can't leave these kids in here."

"_Kenna you heard Nate." Eliot growled out._

"Kenna is something wrong?" Amy came up behind her.

"Just Riley reminds me of my ex." Kenna shook off the dread she was feeling.

"_Kenna get out of there now." Eliot said._

"I can't." She hissed.

"Kenna?" The girl looked at her.

"I need to get out of here."

"Your just gonna make Riley mad and leave?" The girl looked angrily at her. "Now you leave he's gonna take it out on the rest of us."

"_I'm filling out divorce papers if you don't get your ass out of there now Kenna." She turned and looked at Eliot._

"Come with me." Kenna looked at the younger woman. "We can find a place for you and the others."

"We?"

"I have friends who can help. Amy, please." The girl shook her head.

"I can't. I won't."

"Fine, but I have to go."

"_Kenna…" Eliot's angry voice echoed in her ear._

"Eliot just shut up." Kenna screeched.

"_Riley's comin' and he's not happy." Eliot shouted. Kenna pivoted to see Riley heading her way with Eliot trying to intervene. _

"Amy…"

"Yeah, I know, go." She turned and headed to the dorm. Riley stormed up to Kenna with fire in his eyes. She crossed her arms across her chest.

"What now?"

"Chappell wants to see you."

"Yeah, well I'm leaving so tell Chappell goodbye for me." Riley went to grab for her and Eliot pulled him back.

"Son, you best not be even thinking about." The boy turned around swinging and Eliot had him to the ground. "Get the kids out of here Kenna; we'll deal with the backlash later." Kenna headed for the dorms. Riley tried to get up. "You best stay down boy."

"You don't know who you're messing with."

"So tell me. Tell me why a bunch of teenagers are working their ass off for some jackass farmer?"

"He's a good man. He's helped kids."

"Kids have disappeared." Kenna came out of the dorm with the girls.

"Eliot the boys, their gone." He looked up, Riley tried to get up but he kicked him to the ground.

"Stay down." He yelled. "Get the girls' outta her and I'll look for them. Hardison, meet Kenna at the gate, she's comin' out hot with five passengers."

"_I'm already here man. Send her out."_

"Go." He looked at her. Nodding she lead the girls to the gate where Hardison was waiting. Kenna looked back but Eliot was gone.

"Don't you dare go back in there. I got specific instructions to get your ass out of here." Hardison glared at her.

"When was the last time I followed instructions?"

"Get in the van Kenna, or those divorce papers will be on my lawyer's desk by morning." Eliot's voice rumbled in her ear.

"So now, every time I don't do what you say you're gonna threaten to divorce me?"

"Get in the van Kenna and we'll work this out when I get back." The sound of bone braking made Kenna move a little faster into the van and Hardison took off.

"Who are you?" Amy looked at Kenna.

"Someone who cares." Was all she said.


	16. Chapter 16

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Sixteen

"Kenna sit down. You're upsetting Faith." Nate stopped her from pacing back and forth.

"I have to go back there Nate." Kenna pleaded. Sophie went and put the sleeping infant in the room next door and got the monitor.

"And have Eliot come back here and find you gone? No, absolutely not." She looked at the older man. "Glare at me all you want Kenna, you're not going after him."

"He could be hurt or worse." She looked at him. "He should have swallowed the damn GPS."

"Eliot made you swallow a GPS?" Nate glared at Hardison.

"He asked." The hacker looked innocent.

"Nate, I can't sit around waiting for something to happen."

"It's only been a couple of hours."

"Nate it's been two hours too long." Sophie came to her.

"Kenna, Eliot wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger." A knock made them jump. Nate went to the door. Opening it he saw Eliot standing between two teenage boys. They were keeping him from falling on his face.

"Eliot." The boys looked at Nate. The older looking one spoke.

"Chappell was taking us to the mesa. He stopped him, but there were these men and they attacked him." They set him down on the bed and Eliot cringed.

"Take is easy." He looked up at Kenna standing frozen where she stood. "You just gonna stand there Kenna or are you gonna help me?" Silently she went to the dresser and got the medical bag. She stood in front of him and he put his hands on her hips, the pain evident on his face. His face swollen and by the way he moved she was sure he had a few cracked or broken ribs. "You're itching to say something, so just say it." She looked into his swollen eyes and brushed the hair out of his face.

"Take your shirt off." She backed away letting his hands fall. The pain shot through his body.

"I guess I'm sorry isn't gonna cut it." He pulled up his shirt but it he couldn't fathom removing it at that moment. They were bruised more than they had been in a very long time. Kenna caught the ice pack Hardison threw to her. Cracking she handed it to Eliot.

"Put it on your eye."

"Where's the other boys?" Nate asked.

"Gone. They scattered when Chappell's men came down on me. These guys stayed and tried to help." Eliot winced. "Where are the girls?"

"Sophie found them rooms and told them to call home. Four of the five are going back."

"Good. What about the other one?"

"Amy doesn't have any place to go." Kenna said. "We're gonna work something out."

"Thank you for not putting up a fight back there." He looked up at Kenna. Her eyes were cold and Eliot knew that she was pissed beyond reason.

"I think you might have sprained your wrist." Kenna looked at the discolored swelling starting on his wrist. Parker threw Kenna another ice pack. She cracked it, shook it and pressed it on Eliot's wrist.

"Hey, I know you're pissed but take it easy." She glared at him and started washing out off his cuts.

"So…is Chappell gone?" Nate stood next to Kenna.

"I don't know. But he's in something bigger than we thought." Eliot winced. "Damn it Kenna just fuckin' kill me and be done with it." The anger in Eliot's voice made her look at him.

"Maybe then you wouldn't rip my heart out when you lose contact for two damn hours." She pressed the disinfectant into the cuts on his face.

"Okay boys, that's our cue to leave." Sophie grabbed the boys and headed to the other room. Parker was long gone and Hardison grabbed his gadgets and faded off into the wood work. Nate stood with his arms crossed over his chest and looked at the two.

"You two are something else." Shaking his head Nate followed Sophie to their room. He stopped. "We'll bring Faith to you when she wakes up." He shut the door behind him.

"You even pissed Nate off." Eliot ground out.

"Me? You didn't see the look on his face when you didn't show up." He moved his left hand to the waist of her jeans and gripped onto them every time she hit a raw spot.

"You used to have such gentle hands." He laid his head against her stomach. Kenna didn't want to touch him. She knew if she did the anger would slip away and what she was really feeling would come to the surface. Kenna did anger way better than she did fear. Putting down the peroxide bottle and the gauze she ran her hands down his hair. The feel of her hands on him made the grip on her jeans tighten. "There was so damn many of them." He whispered. "They kept comin' at me and I just let the adrenalin take over." She took a step forward and he pressed his cheek against her stomach. He moved his right hand to her other hip, pushing her t-shirt up a little, needing to feel her skin against his. Her hands stroked his hair.

"You ever make me feel so helpless again Eliot Spencer, I will kill you." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She laid her head on the top of his. "I hate that feeling."

"I should have been more careful, I didn't know my ear bud flew out till it was too late." He pushed her away and looked her into her eyes. "I fought like hell to get back to you and our daughter Kenna. Don't ever think that I will do anything less to get back home to you." Kenna leaned over and kissed his swollen lips gently.

"I know that cowboy. That's why I love you so damn much." She smiled through the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Let's get your ribs tape up before you get too stiff." Pushing away she went to her bag.

"Darlin' it's a little late for that." He chuckled, holding his ribs as he did.

"Only you Eliot. Only you." Kenna laughed, the tears forgotten. She figured that was what Eliot was going for. He slid off his flannel shirt and tried to take off his t-shirt but it wasn't working. Kenna grabbed the scissors and cut it off.

"I lose more damn shirts to you Kenna Shane." He lifted his arms and let Kenna pull the tape tight. She went and grabbed him a button down shirt from her bag. Eliot watched her. She was still mad at him a little. He knew that it would take her a little time to get over it. Hell it would take him a good three weeks to heal. Every wince and moan would bring it all back for her. "I'm gonna be fine baby." She tossed the shirt his direction and leaned against the desk, looking at him she smiled a small smile.

"You're always gonna be fine Spencer. You bounce back like a man half your age." She crossed her arms in front of her. "But I can't sit back and let you be gone without doing something about it. I need you to know that I will fight like hell to get you back."

"I've always know that Kenna." He stood up. "Nine out of ten times I'm pretty capable of getting myself out of anything I get into." Walking over to her he brushed the hair out of her eyes. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"Next time you swallow the GPS."

"Maybe we should have Hardison implant them in our asses?" Eliot raised his eyebrows.

"Not funny." Kenna looked at him and cracked a smile. "Okay so it's kinda funny." Eliot took her in his arms.

"I know you thought you would never hear me say this but Kenna will you help me get dressed." She shook her head.

"I guess hell must have frozen over."

"Guess so." He turned and she held out the shirt and put his arms in it. Turning she buttoned the buttons…stopping three from the top.

"Gotta leave a little something for me." She moved the material over and planted a soft wet kiss on his heart. "Heal fast cowboy, 'cause we have some serious make up sex pending." He lifted her chin and kissed her lips.

"It won't take me long to feel up to the task." Kenna smiled. The door between Nate and Sophie's room and theirs opened. Hardison was carrying Faith at arm's length.

"I think she done exploded." His face was all scrunched up and the little girl was giggling at her uncle. "You think this is funny little girl?"

"I think she thinks her Uncle Alec is funny." Kenna took her daughter from the hacker and went to change her.

"You okay man?" Hardison asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. How's Parker?"

"Mad as hell. You think your baby mama's mad, you don't want to want to know how your mad your thief is."

"She'll get over it, she always does."

"Yeah but till then I'd be keeping the child between you and her at all times." Hardison headed back to the other room. Eliot turned and watched Kenna. She talked to Faith the entire time she changed the little girl. The child was enthralled by the story her mother was telling. Today he thought he wasn't going to make it back to them. Closing his eyes he leaned back against the desk. Every punch he took today reminded him he wasn't the man he used to be. Not that he couldn't hold his own and then some but damn it seemed it took a little more effort than usual. Opening his eyes he looked at his wife. Kenna picked up the baby and turned back to him.

"Something wrong?" He shook his head.

"No. Hey darlin'." He reached for Faith but his ribs protested. The baby squealed.

"She missed you." Kenna smile.

"She was napping." Eliot pushed off the desk and leaned over and kissed the baby. She squealed again and grabbed for his hair as she kicked her feet. "Daddy missed you to baby." Nate came through the door.

"You two done with your sparing? Because we have a bad guy that needs to be tracked down." Eliot looked up at Nate.

"We'll be right there." Eliot told him. Nate nodded and headed back to the room. "Parker's pissed at me so please stand between us with Faith." Kenna smiled.

"You're scared of Parker?"

"She pokes me when she knows I've been injured. You know how she is Kenna." Kenna opened the door and headed into the other room. Eliot gauged where the blond thief was in the room. She sat on the bed, legs crossed glaring at him. He went to the far side of the room and sat on the chair in the corner. Kenna sat at his feet with Faith.

"Okay, we need to find out what Chappell was into." Nate looked at Hardison.

"Other than the farm I have nothing. This con was centered on him not wanting to give up his farm. Now he's running." Kenna laid Faith on a blanket between her legs. She grabbed the notebook from the desk and started searching for her own clues. It had become a game between her and Hardison since she officially became part of the team. Who ever got the best information first won at plastic trophy he had picked up at a discount store. It was cheesy but effective.

"I talked to Amy and the boys. No one was singled out. The few who were never came back again." Sophie crossed her arms over her chest and began pacing.

"The ones who were…" Kenna shook her head. "also were from better families and somewhat younger looking."

"So you think Chappell is saving them someplace near the mesa for ransomed?" Eliot asked.

"I think Chappell is making teen smut movies and using our troubled kids as stars." Kenna turned her screen around. The website featured the caption 'Farmer's Daughter'. Nate looked at it.

"You've got to be kidding. We come here looking for something to take this guy down with and he's making teen porn?"

"It's not illegal if they are eighteen and most of these kids are." Hardison informed him.

"Most, not all. Is he making the films and killing the kids?" Nate asked. Kenna shook her head.

"Most kids just go into the business. They think that's all they have in them so they just give in." Eliot looked down at his wife.

"How many of your sisters fell into that trap?" He touched her shoulder.

"Three or four." She leaned against his leg. "If you and Jodi…"

"Don't even go there babe." Eliot knew the odds. Hell, most of the girls who left the back woods of Kentucky passed through a strip joint or two.

"Okay so if he was headed out to the mesa, maybe his shack he shoots this shit at is out there." Nate looked at Hardison. "Find it."

"Nate those men that came after me weren't protecting some perverts basement porn activities. These men where highly trained mercenaries." Eliot looked at the screen Kenna had put up. "Bar bouncer's maybe but not men with skills like that."

"So there's a bigger picture."

"Usually porn and drugs go hand in hand." Parker added. "Maybe he's got a pot field or a meth lab hiding somewhere."

"This is so not our gig Nate. Mercenaries, drugs, porn? So not our in our job descriptions." Hardison shook his head.

"We'll we're in it this far. See if you can get the names of the kids that are missing and match it to any missing person's lists."

"I'm on it." Hardison headed to his room for more equipment.

"Kenna, Parker go into town and see if you can pull some of the county tax records that Hardison couldn't find on the net."

"Okay." Kenna kissed her daughter and handed her to her father. "Have fun." The two women got up and grabbed their coats and headed into town.

"Sophie you and I are going to a little more recon around the mesa." He looked at Eliot. "Guess that puts you on baby duty." Nate looked at him. "Amy and Hardison are just next door if you need some help."

"Nate, I can take care of my own kid."

"I know but with you ribs and wrist it might be hard getting in and out of her crib thing."

"I'll be fine." He grabbed a new ear bud from the box next to Hardison's computer. "Really Nate. Go." Nate looked at Sophie. "Guys I'm fine, just go." They both nodded and headed out the door. "I guess it's just you and me kid." Faith laughed at her father. "You're gonna break a lot of hearts darlin'." Eliot stood. His ribs and bruised hip protesting every move. Going back in his and Kenna's room he laid the baby on the bed and laid beside her. "Let's hope mama and the aunts and uncles have better luck then me finding Chappell's den of sin." Faith grabbed her father's hair and smiled. "That's my girl." Eliot laid back and closed his eyes an hoped for a speedy ending to a case they should of never taken.


	17. Chapter 17

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Seventeen

It was almost dinner time when everyone made it back to the hotel. Many of the kids had been reunited with their families and were on their way home. Amy still looked a little ragged from her long day. Eliot offered her a soda as the rest of the team and a couple of the boys took dinner out of bags.

"How you holding up?" He sat across from her.

"Believe it or not, it's not my worst day." She smiled. "So you and Kenna are married."

"At least for the time being." He cringed as he twisted the cap on his beer bottle to open it. "So Kenna tells me your pretty much stuck here."

"Yeah, I was adopted when I was six. They died last year and there was no one. I had a little money but it didn't last long. My parents weren't planners." Eliot nodded.

"I don't know you, but I have a computer geek that can find anything on anybody including breaking open sealed adoptions records."

"Kinda been there. My birth mother is dead. She never really wanted me anyway." Eliot looked at the young girl. Old enough to be a lot of things but still scared and all alone.

"Do you like kids?"

"Only if they like me." Oh this one was so much like his wife, it was scary.

"We have a part time nanny job available back in Boston. Our regular lady has wanted to spend a little more time with her husband. You could share the responsibility and come with us when we need Kenna on a job."

"You really want someone like me to take care of your kid." Amy looked over at Parker who was tickling the little girl with a hippo.

"If you haven't noticed we're all a little…broken around here? Nate lost his son five years ago and spent the last few years falling on and off the wagon. Sophie grew up with gypsies and grifters. Hardison is smarter than most of the human race and Parker…well she's just not right." Eliot smile.

"What about you and Kenna?"

"Me, I'm about as far from alright most days then you can get." He looked at the girl. "If it wasn't for Kenna in my life and me in hers we might have turned out worse." Amy smiled for the first time since she got to the room.

"But you got through it."

"Yeah, we did. And we will get you through this. Is there anything you can tell us about Chappell that we don't know? Or the kids that left?"

"I just did my work and did what I was told. Did you talk to Riley?"

"He wasn't much help." Eliot sat back on his seat. "Do you think you want to come to Boston?"

"Can I think about it? I mean we just met and all." Eliot nodded.

"Take your time." Kenna brought both Eliot and Amy a plate. "How was the recon?"

"We got a few leads." Kenna handed them both a fork. "How are you feeling Amy?" Kenna leaned a hip against Eliot's chair.

"I'm okay."

"Good to hear." Kenna leaned over and kissed Eliot's still tender lips. "I got some pain killers with your name on them cowboy so eat up." Kenna left them and went to get Faith ready for bed.

"She seems a little tense." Amy watched Kenna go into the next room.

"I pissed her off by not checking in today and coming back looking like this."

"I didn't peg her for a worrier." Amy pushed her food around her plate.

"Kenna's tends to let her emotions rule her head sometimes. If you call her on it she'll deny it but some days it a rollercoaster ride just being in the same time zone as her." Eliot chuckled. "Don't let that scare you away."

"I like her. She stood up to Riley." Amy started eating. "Thank you for getting us out of there today. I don't think I would have had the courage."

"That's what we do." He smiled and took a long drag of his beer. "Kenna has a way to making people understand when it's time to get gone." They finished their dinner in a comfortable silence. When they were cleaning up Amy put her hand on Eliot's shoulder.

"I'll come to Boston with you and Kenna." Eliot nodded.

"Good. You and Kenna can work out the details later. " She nodded.

"Thanks." The girl said her goodnights and headed to her own room. Nate came up to Eliot.

"She take the job?"

"Yeah. I hope Kenna isn't wrong about her."

"Kenna isn't wrong too often." Nate looked at his hitter. "Go hit your wife up for some pain killers. You look like hell."

"I can always count on you to tell me the truth." Nate chuckled. Eliot said his good nights and headed to his own room. The only light that was on was in the bathroom. He let his eyes adjust and found Kenna sitting on the chair in the corner feeding Faith. Eliot sat on the bed across from her and just watched the both of them.

"Amy said that she'll come to Boston with us when this is over." He said softly. Faith's eyes fluttered when she heard her dad's voice.

"Good." She said quietly. They sat there in a peaceful silence until Faith was done eating. Kenna laid her down in her crib and covered her. Eliot came behind her. He pulled her against him.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear. Kenna closed her eyes and let the warmth of his arms around her seep into her bones.

"I had you dead and buried today Spencer." She whispered.

"It ain't over till the fat lady sings baby." He held her close. Kenna knew that he was a force to be reckoned with but he wasn't invincible and she wished that after today he would come to terms with that. Kenna turned and started unbuttoning his shirt. The bruises had started to turn purple. She took a deep breath and finished, letting the shirt falls of his shoulders. Running her hands softly over his arms.

"Vicodin or Percocet?" She said.

"Ibuprofen." He looked at her with clear blue eyes.

"Eliot you need to sleep."

"I need a clear mind." She took a step back.

"Not in my bed you don't." Kenna went to the dresser and pulled out a bottle. She wasn't in the mood to fight with him. She took out two pills. "Compromise. Tylenol with codeine." Turning around she handed them to him. He took them and swallowed them down. "Need help with those jeans cowboy?"

"You might as well go all the way." He let her unbutton and unzip his jeans. Kicking them aside he pulled her into his arms. She reached back and got an ace bandage from the dresser. Taking his wrist she wrapped the injury gently.

"When we get back home you should get this x-rayed."

"It feels fine." He winced when she tightened the bandage.

"Yeah it seems fine there sweetheart." Kenna smiled. She fastened it and pushed him back on the bed. "Get some sleep."

"Where are you going?" He grabbed her hips.

"Just to change." She slid out of his grasp.

"Into what?" He grabbed her t-shirt with his good hand.

"Your Long Horns t-shirt." She gave him a wicked smile.

"You brought the Long Horns t-shirt?" Kenna shut the bathroom door and Eliot groaned. He stood up and went to his side of the bed and got in. She was going to torcher him all night long with the way the shirt hugged her breasts and ended just above her thighs. Eliot turned off the bedside light and closed his eyes. The pain in his ribs, wrist and face should be enough to stop him from thinking about his wife in his t-shirt but damn he couldn't help himself. Hearing the door open and Kenna's light footsteps on the plush carpeting made his heart rate quicken. The feeling of the mattress sinking on her side of the bed did things to his body that shouldn't be happing in the condition he was in.

"Good night Eliot." She said as she lay down, pulling the covers over her.

"You're a witch." He ground out. Feeling the mattress shift he felt Kenna's hand on is back.

"You're just now figuring that out cowboy." Her lips replaced her hands and her hands moved to rest lightly on his tender ribs. All he felt was her kisses against his heated skin.

"You're killing me Kenna." He whispered.

"It's been a long time since we took the slow walk home." She said against his neck. He closed his eyes and moved her hand lower. Shifting, Kenna ran her hand down the length of him as her lips teased his neck. Eliot knew that they both needed a little TLC after this morning and he knew that it was gonna cost him but damn, if he didn't care. Slowly he shifted around and found her lips.

"I thought we were gonna wait till I healed a little bit." He ran his hand down her body and laid it on her hip.

"It's been like six hours." Her tongue teasing his. Eliot reached under her shirt and ran his fingers over her sensitive nipple. "Eliot." She hissed out. He kissed her as he pressed himself inside her stifling her loud moan. He moved slowly kissing her deeply. His ribs protested but he didn't care. The feel of Kenna's warmth around him made the pain slip away. Her leg shifted and pressed him deeper inside her.

"Kenna…"He moaned.

"We can stop if you want." She whispered. Eliot moved his hips.

"Does it feel like I want to stop?" He asked. The found a slow steady rhythm put minimal stress on Eliot's injuries. "I love you Kenna." He whispered just before he took them both over the edge. Kenna held him close clinging to him her body still trembling from her release.

"Not as much as I love you Eliot." She kissed his neck running her hands down his back. Kenna knew that the pain pills she had given him should be knocking him on his ass any minute.

"You gave me Percocet didn't you?" He said, slurring his words a bit.

"I knew you couldn't keep your hands off me so I thought you might need something with a little more bite."

"You are a witch Kenna Sh..Shane..Sp…Spencer." Kenna smiled and kissed his lips gently.

"But I'm your witch baby." She snuggled closer to him and he fell asleep before he could agree with her.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

Three days later the police got a tip where to find Chappell and his band of merry men. With more drugs and pirated porn then than anyone had ever seen it was an easy arrest. Kenna and Eliot stood on a ridge watching the take down.

"Jimmy said that Chappell told him where to find Jackson and the others."

"How many?"

"Seven in all. Four boys, three girls. All safe but a traumatized is an understatement. Hardison cleared out Chappell's bank accounts here and found his overseas ones. The families will be able to afford the kind of help their kids need to get through this."

"Jackson?" Eliot looked at his wife.

"They found him locked in a cell. He's in pretty bad shape, but he'll live." Kenna looked down at the building surrounded by US Marshalls and local police. "I'm not gonna miss this place."

"I hear ya." They both turned and headed to the rental car. "I'm still mad at you for switching my meds last night."

"You needed to rest." He opened the door for her. Kenna leaned on it and looked into the eyes of her husband. "I'm not sorry. In the last year and half I've maybe woken up with you a handful of times. I like waking up in your arms once in awhile." He looked at her.

"All you have to do is ask darlin'." He brushed the hair out of her face. "No need to drug me." Kenna smiled.

"I don't want to wake up alone unless I absolutely have to." He smiled.

"Now see that wasn't so hard was it?" Kenna leaned against the door and kissed him.

"No, I guess not."

"Let's get going, we have a flight to catch." He let her get into the car and shut the door. Going around to the driver's side he got in. "I thought we'd fly into Connecticut and see Mrs. Bailey and drive home from there."

"She would love that. She hasn't seen Faith since she was born."

"Amy seems to be getting along well with Parker and Sophie so they can get her settled in." Eliot drove toward the hotel. He looked over at his wife. Something was bothering her. "What's wrong?"

"Do you ever wonder about the baby we lost?" Kenna didn't look at him.

"Now and then, but we both know that dwelling on it won't change anything." He knew she needed to talk about this. They had cleared the air all those months ago but they hadn't quite finished it.

"I know." Kenna turned and looked at Eliot. "I just wonder if he or she would have looked as much like you as Faith does. "

"Or maybe had your eyes." He said softly. This couldn't be healthy. They couldn't change that part of their past.

"It wasn't meant to be." Kenna said. Eliot reached over and touched her hand. She smiled.

"Things happen for a reason. I believe that Kenna."

"So do I." Eliot pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and the rest of the team was packing up to go home. "You would have never found them." Kenna said softly.

"And for some odd reason, I wouldn't change that." Eliot chuckled. Kenna laughed. It was going to be a really good day.


	18. Chapter 18

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Eighteen

"Did you call and see how she was doing?" Kenna asked.

"Before we took off. I told them not to tell her we we're coming." Eliot looked at Kenna fidgeting in her seat. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing." She looked at him.

"You haven't stopped fidgeting since we left the airport."

"I don't know. I guess I just feel restless." She looked out the windshield. "Maybe we can take a trip down the coast. Take the long way home."

"Are saying you want to run away from home Kenna Shane?"

"No I just don't want to go home today."

"We don't have to. " He pulled into the nursing home. "How about we visit with Jewels for a few hours and then we figure it all out." Kenna nodded. They got out of the car; Eliot grabbed Faith from the back seat and took Kenna's hand as they headed into the home.

"Kenna, Eliot how are you doing!" The young nurse smiled at them.

"Hi Lanie." The younger woman came around the desk to hug her.

"Oh gosh look how Faith has grown." The nurse looked at the baby. "Jewels will be ecstatic. You three are all she talks about lately."

"How's she's doing?"

"She has her good days and bad days." Lanie looked at Kenna. "But she's happy." The nurse went behind the counter and gave them both visitor badges. "Her son came by last week. It wasn't pretty. He seems to think that his mother's money is being wasted away here."

"Chuck was always a bastard." Kenna said.

"He hasn't gotten any more pleasant. Stop by and say goodbye before you go."

"We will." Kenna and Eliot headed down the hall.

"Can Chuck take her out of here?" Eliot fell in step next to his wife.

"Not a snowballs chance in hell. Jewels mad me her power of attorney. I'm the only one who can move her."

"That's my girl." They got to Mrs. Bailey's room.

"Hey Jewels." Kenna knocked on the door. "You up for some visitors?"

"Only if you have that handsome husband and beautiful baby girl with you." The woman said, sounding almost younger than her seventy six years.

"So I'm chopped liver?"

"No you're the icing on the cake." The woman reached for her and pulled her into the hug. "What brings you to make an old woman's day?"

"Eliot's idea. He figured if he could make three women happy in one day, his life would be complete."

"She still got that sassy mouth Jewels." Eliot took Faith out of her seat.

"Yeah well she got that from her mama and we can't do nothin' 'bout that." The old woman smiled. "Let me see that beauty." He laid Faith in the old woman's arms. "Gosh she is all you Eliot." She smiled and the baby giggled.

"Should I ask how Chuck's visit went?" Kenna asked.

"Lanie talks too much."

"Lanie worries about you Jewels." Eliot answered.

"You have a smart mouth too mister."

"I get it from my wife." He chuckled.

"Okay you two, stop changing the subject."

"He was crass and obnoxious and his wife smelled like beer nuts." Kenna tried not to smile. "Do you know I've seen Faith more times in the three months she's been alive then I have seen my grandchildren in three years?"

"Jewels…"

"Kenna don't try to sugar coat it. Charles is a shmuck." Eliot did laugh this time.

"Do not encourage her Eliot." Kenna sat on the bed. "Did he threaten you?"

"No, he tried to convince me, in a manner that he was not raised may I add, to move to a more efficient residents."

"Well I think Chuck will be taken off your visitor list." Kenna said. "If that's what you want."

"He doesn't scare me child." The teacher looked into her eyes. "Are you happy Kenna?" Kenna smiled.

"You know I am." The woman looked at Eliot.

"What about you?" She asked him.

"Hell yeah." He smiled.

"Then the hell with Charles. He was never happy with anything in his life. I may have not given birth to either one of you but you've been better to me than any blood children could. And you gave me a reason to make these old eyeballs open every morning." Jewels ran a feeble finger down Faith's cheek. "You two made one beautiful little girl."

"Thank you Jewels." Kenna watched the woman. She wished she could do more for the woman who picked up the pieces of her life after Eliot left. "You helped me when I needed it the most. I'm glad we can be part of your life."

"I'm glad you're part of my life too." They talked and reminisced for almost two hours before Kenna could tell the older woman was getting tired. They said their goodbyes and headed out. Eliot didn't start the car right away.

"I could get rid of Chuck." Kenna smiled.

"I don't think that would solve anything." She leaned over and kissed him. "I love you Eliot Spencer."

"I love you too." He pulled her into his arms and deepened the kiss. "So…" He whispered. "What do you want to do?"

"It isn't obvious?" Kenna smiled rand a hand down his chest.

"You do know we're in a nursing home parking lot and have a sleeping baby in the back seat, right?" He hugged her close. "Anywhere you want to go Kenna."

"I want to go home. I want to see our family and cook dinner for all of them. I want to get Amy settled in the loft and take her shopping. And I want to sex with my husband in my own bed and wake up with him next to me in the morning ready to make love again."

"Wow and I thought I was gonna get away with a night at the Plaza." Eliot smiled. "You know I'd do anything for you."

"I know. That's why I love you." She kissed him again. "Let's go home." She slid off his lap and buckled her seat belt.

"You're the boss." He started the car.

"Don't you forget it mister."

0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/

"How long have you two been married?" Amy asked Kenna as they were finishing the dishes that night.

"Three months."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. We got married in March."

"But you…you act like…"

"Like what."

"Like you've been together forever."

"Well we kinda have. We met when he was nine and I was seven. We had a really long break but we found each other again about a year and half ago."

"So your story is like…epic." Kenna laughed.

"Why does that word keep coming up describing our relationship?"

"Maybe because it's epic. I mean you go years without seeing each other and then you get married and have a kid…or in your case have a kid and get married." The girl smiled.

"You are going to fit in here." Kenna handed her a pot. "If you need anything Amy, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thanks. Thank you for everything."

"I picked up some stuff, towels and a couple of sets of sheets. We can go shopping tomorrow for whatever else you need."

"You don't have to do this Kenna."

"I know. I just want you to be prepared to start your job next week. I'll introduce you to Sherri and we can work a schedule out."

"I appreciate everything your doing."

"Everyone needs a break now and then." The finished the dishes in a comfortable silence. Amy said her goodnights and headed home. Kenna went and sat on the couch with Eliot. Nate and Sophie were the only ones left.

"She seems like she'll fit right in." Sophie said.

"I think so." Kenna leaned into Eliot.

"How was your visit with Mrs. Bailey?" Nate asked.

"The old girl is still kicking." Eliot said as he took a long drag of his beer.

"Why don't you move her closer?" Sophie inquired.

"She's happy where she is and it really isn't that much of a trip. I know she doesn't have a whole lot more time but she's happy." Kenna answered,

"I think we should head home, don't you Sophie." Nate got up.

"Yeah, we have a client meeting in the morning." Eliot closed his eyes and let his head fall to the back of the couch.

"You're a slave driver Nate." Kenna said.

"You knew that when you signed up for this gig." He and Sophie hugged her and they headed out. Eliot locked up and he turned to find Kenna gone from the couch.

"You can't hide from me woman." He chuckled. Going to Faith's room he looked for her there. The baby was sleeping soundly. Covering her up Eliot went to look for his wife. "Kenna?" He went to the bedroom. He saw candle light flickering in the bathroom. "You decent?" He said as he opened the door.

"Do you want me to be decent?" She asked. Eliot went in and found his wife neck deep in the tub.

"If you walk around naked I wouldn't complain." He sat on the edge of the tub and splashed her.

"You comin' in?"

"I kinda like to watch." Kenna grabbed his hand and pulled him toward her. "Or not." Eliot stood and stripped off his jeans and shirt. He slid into the tub behind her. "Oh God woman can you get it any hotter." He pulled her back against him.

"You really need to ask." She smiled and closed her eyes. Eliot ran his hands over her body.

"Kenna Shane you are a bad, bad girl." He kissed her neck and then leaned back and let the jets work their magic.

"Would you still love me if I was a good girl?" Kenna ran her fingers up Eliot's arm.

"I loved you when you were good." He chuckled. "But I think I fell in love with the bad girl." He said against her ear. Eliot kissed her neck again. "I forgot how nice it can be to just kick back and relax."

"It's been too long since we've been able to." Kenna turned kissed him. "I don't think I remember a time I felt more relaxed." He pulled her up and held her tight against him.

"Mmmmm you feel really, really relaxed." Kenna kissed him.

"You feel kinda tense cowboy." She said against his lips.

"I blame that on you." He pressed her closer, shifting as she spread her legs. Deepening the kiss Kenna moaned at the feeling of Eliot's hands on her body and almost shattered into a million pieces when he entered her.

"Eliot…" She gasped and her breath quickened. "Oh God…." He moved inside her as the water sloshed around them.

"Let it go baby." Eliot said hoarsely. He pressed deeper inside her and the feel of her clinging to him nearly pushed him over the edge but he waited for her. Feeling her nails bite into his shoulder he knew she was almost there. A few moves that surprised even him took them both over the edge.

"Have I told you how amazingly happy you make me Spencer?" Kenna mumbled against his chest. Eliot smiled.

"Well you're not gonna think so if I let the both of us drowned." He shifted and pulled Kenna higher out of the water. Kenna smiled.

"I guess we should get out of here." She said weakly.

"It's feels too good to move." Eliot let out a long breath.

"You know how much grief we're gonna get if they find us dead in here?" Kenna asked.

"Okay, so we really need to get out of here." He pushed her up and she stood, grabbing a towel and getting out of the tub. "Meet you in the bedroom in five minutes." She looked over her shoulder. "Don't bother getting dressed." Smiling Kenna headed out the door.

"Lord help me that woman is gonna be the death of me." Eliot leaned back and closed his eyes. "But, damn what a way to go."


	19. Chapter 19

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Nineteen

(Three weeks later)

"Parker, just help me okay." Kenna looked at the thief.

"Eliot is gonna kill us." Parker looked around the garage as if the man was going to jump out from behind the tool box.

"It was an accident Parker."

"He's not going to think so." Kenna looked at Eliot's motorcycle lying on its side. It was a stupid accident. Kenna had been fixing the light fixture and the ladder that Parker was suppose to be holding somehow got unheld and Kenna came crashing down on the hood of the truck and the ladder knocked the motorcycle over.

"Parker just help me and he won't even know what happened."

"He won't kill you. Me, he will kill."

"No he won't now pick up the latter so I can pick up the bike." Parker moved the ladder and Kenna moved over the bike and picked it up slowly using all her strength. Sitting on the seat she surveyed the damage. The gas tank was scratched and a little dented but fixable. The hood of the truck on the other hand was going to be a little harder to fix.

"They're going to be back soon Kenna." Parker looked at the door.

"Parker, Eliot won't be mad. He'll be happy we didn't get electrocuted or worse." The garage door opened and Kenna heard Hardison and Eliot. She turned back and Parker was gone. The thief owed her big time.

"What happened?" Eliot came around the corner.

"I was fixing the light and I crashed." She looked at him.

"Why would you do something like that alone?" He looked her up and down.

"I didn't think it would take long." He surveyed the damage, then looked at her again. He moved behind her and pulled up her t-shirt. The red mark covered her whole back. "Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Parker. She was supposed to be holding the ladder, right?"

"Eliot…"

"You have to stop covering for her Kenna." He leaned against the truck. "She's a brilliant thief but sometimes when it comes to real life she's looses focus."

"I know."

"You gonna have a hell of a bruise."

"You wanted to paint the bike." Rolling his eyes he bent over and looked at the damage. "I know a guy." He stood up and looked at her.

"Yeah, you always know a guy." Taking her in his arms he hugged her. "You need to be more careful."

"I usually am." She ran her hand down his cheek. "I'm sorry about the truck too." Turning Eliot looked at the outlining dent of his wife's back side on the hood of his truck.

"I just got the seats replaces after that giving birth incident a few months back." Kenna smiled.

"If it's any consolation I fixed the light." He looked up at the lighting fixture.

"Yeah, the light works but my bike is scratched, the hood of my truck is trashed and my wife's backside is gonna be black and blue for the next week but the lights fixed. I'm fuckin' ecstatic." Kenna pushed away from him.

"You know what Eliot…I'm sorry I'm not perfect but you leave for days and weeks at a time. I try to get it all done but I can't." She turned to leave but Eliot grabbed her wrist.

"Kenna…"

"Take your hand off of me Eliot." She said through clenched teeth. He released her without another word. She didn't want to fight. Hell all she wanted to do was fix the damn light that Hardison had been promising to replace for months. "Faith needs to eat." She said softly. Turning she headed upstairs. Eliot looked at the truck. He could care less if the whole damn garage blew up as long as Kenna was safe.

"She was protecting me." Eliot looked up to see Parker sliding down a rope from the rafters.

"Tell me something I don't know." He growled at her.

"I'm sorry she got hurt." Parker sounded almost scared. "I was in a bidding war on eBay for a hippo for Faith and I got sucked in." Eliot closed his eyes and shook his head.

"Faith has enough hippos Parker." He opened his eyes. She handed him her phone. He looked at the picture. It was a hippo toddler bed that the little girl wouldn't even sleep in for a good three years.

"I'm never one for thinking a head but I saw it and….I thought maybe for her birthday…in a couple of years." Eliot handed the phone back to her.

"Next time you're responsible for keeping my wife safe, I expect you'll be a little more focused." She nodded.

"I will. Eliot, I didn't mean to let go." She looked him in the eye. "Do you think she'll forgive me?"

"She took the fall, literally for you Parker. There's nothing to forgive in her book."

"How long will it take you to forgive me?" She said softy. Eliot shook his head.

"We'll see how long it takes for my bike and truck to get fixed and then we'll talk." He tweaked the thief's nose so she would know that he wasn't as angry as he appeared. "Did you get the bed?" He asked. She smiled.

"Yeah, I did." He chuckled and headed up to see if he could fix things with the one person he didn't want to fight with today.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"Your daddy needs a good swift kick in the…"

"Don't finish that sentence Kenna." Eliot came into the apartment.

"Ass. Faith your father is an ass."

"Really, Kenna. The two year old is coming out again." He went and sat on the coffee table in front of her. "If you're pissed at me aim your jibes at me." Kenna looked at him.

"I didn't mean…I'm sorry." Kenna touched his cheek.

"You came back from visiting your mom. You were twelve. You ran up to Jodi's bedroom and hid under the bed." She remembered the day. Her mom had been okay before the drinking started but it all went downhill after that. "You wouldn't come out. I had to go under there to talk you out and I wasn't happy."

"It was the first time you told me to suck it up, she wasn't worth my tears. It became my mantra."

"Your back took three weeks to heal Kenna. I never told my mom or Jodi but it ate away at me."

"Why didn't you ever tell me that before?"

"I guess I put it in that place where I put everything that's ever pissed me off that I couldn't fix." He leaned his elbows on his knees. "I know today was an accident and that no one is to blame, but seeing your back like that…it made me think of all the crap I couldn't fix."

"You fixed me." She touched his cheek. "You made it right. We both did." He knew that but some days were harder then other's to get past it.

"I can't imagine my life without you Kenna Shane."

"I'm right here. I will always be right here Eliot." He leaned over and kissed her. Eliot had never dreamed he would be here with her. Having a life with the one woman who understood him made life worth living.

"I'm sorry I got mad at you. I don't care about the damn bike or the truck."

"I know." Kenna smiled. "I just thought it was your turn to pick a fight." She finished feeding a sleeping Faith. Taking the little girl and putting in her crib Kenna came back out to find Eliot cooking lunch. "Smells good."

"Thanks. Amy said she was going to look in those night classes you told her about. The ones with online access so if she has to come with us on a job."

"Good. She's such a great kid." Kenna reached for the plates from the cupboard. She set them down and went over to him and kissed he cheek. "Thanks for letting me keep her." He smiled.

"Anything to keep my woman happy." He pulled her against him. "I love you."

"I love you too." He hugged her. Relaxing for the first time in days. "Did something happen you're not telling me about?" She looked at him.

"Just some shit I don't want to talk about."

"Eliot…"

"Let it go Kenna." He said. She looked at him.

"Fine. Just don't expect me to like it." She went and sat down. He knew she was pissed and he would deal with it. He just wasn't ready to share right now.

"How was Faith's doctor's appointment?" Another reason he was a little upset. He had wanted to go with her but things got messy and he didn't make it back.

"She's perfect, but you already knew that." Eliot put the stir fry on their plates and grabbed the egg rolls from the oven. Before he sat down he brought them both a bottle of water.

"Yeah, she is her mother's daughter." He looked at Kenna. Even though she had seen what kind evil there was in the world her outlook never seemed as grim as it should be. He hoped Faith would get that from her.

"Baby, if you think I'm perfect you've been hit on the head way to many times." Kenna smiled. Eliot didn't. "Talk to me Eliot."

"It's nothing."

"It's something Eliot, damn it don't you dare shut me out. Not after all we've been through."

"I'm having nightmares again." He looked at her. The guilt on her face was evident. She had asked him to be there in the morning when she woke up. She felt like I was her fault.

"You should have told me."

"I didn't want you to worry." Kenna worried anyway. She was always worried how his job affected him. She knew how it affected her. "It's better."

"If that's why you don't want to stay in bed at night I understand." She reached out and touched his hand.

"Sleep isn't the escape it used to be." He laughed.

"Who needs sleep when we do a whole lot of other things so well in bed?" Kenna leaned over and kissed him. "He can't hurt us Eliot. Moreau can't touch us."

"I call General Floras every week to make sure he's still behind bars." Eliot pulled his wife into his arms. She kissed him gently.

"He can't hurt you ever again Eliot. I will make sure of that." She kissed him again. Letting him know that she was always there for him. Eliot pushed her against the counter and deepened the kiss. He pushed up her shirt and ran his hand over her tender back. Kenna moaned. He didn't say another word. Picking her up he carried her to the bedroom and closed and locked the door. He knew their apartment was free game in the middle of the afternoon and he wasn't going get caught with his pants down. Making sure the monitor was on he leaned over and kissed her again hard. Kenna knew the desperation he was feeling. Tearing at her clothes and she at his it became almost a moral imperative they have each other now.

"Kenna." She felt the change in him and she shook her head.

"Don't…I won't break." It was all he needed to continue. Buttons popped and material ripped. Eliot forgot about her back and his shoulder and let the need take over. "Oh God yes Eliot." She felt his breath quicken and didn't care that he was losing control. It had been a long time since he had.

"Kenna…." He yanked her jeans and panties down in one motion and took her with one long deep plunge. Kenna buried her face in his shoulder and bit down lightly. A bit surprised but Eliot hard shallow thrusts didn't slow. He gripped her hips and pulled himself deep into her. Her nails bit into his shoulders and it only made him hotter. "Open your eyes." He growled. Kenna did as she was told and looked into her brown eyes. He knew her like he knew himself and knew what would take her over the edge but he wasn't ready yet. Leaning over he kissed her their tongues dancing together. Kenna's hand moved from his shoulders to his hair pressing their bodies closer.

"Eliot…" She looked into his eyes. "Don't hold back." She whispered. He knew she what she wanted and he wanted it just as bad. His hips moved faster and pounded harder into her. Her legs intertwined with his and pushed him deeper inside her. "I mean it." She moaned. "I won't break." That's all it took for him to let go. His hands moved to her shoulders and he pounded into her like a man possessed. Feeling her hands on his arms, nails biting into him and the sound of his name on her lips was all he needed to take them both to the brink. Moving just enough to send her first Eliot plunged deeply into her again and again until he exploded inside her.

"You okay?" He panted, clinging to her.

"It's been a long time since you fucked me Eliot." She purred. He chuckled.

"I thought you like the way we did things now?"

"Didn't say I didn't. I just like the way we used to do things now and then."

"We both got a lot of bruises from the way we used to do things."

"Just 'cause we married Spencer, doesn't mean we can't fuck now and then." She smiled, kissing his neck. "Don't ever be afraid to let go Eliot. I'm not a fragile little girl."

"I never want to hurt you Kenna." She cupped his cheek and kissed him.

"You could never hurt me. A little wild sex isn't gonna kill me." Kenna ran her hand down his arm. "You don't have be here in the morning for me to know that you love me." Rolling over on his back, taking her with him, holding her close, he kissed her.

"I know. I also know that it's something you need." Kenna looked at him.

"I need you to be okay. If the nightmares are happening because your sleeping too much or because of what I said in Texas please don't do it for me. I know what it feels like to have someone chasing you when you close your eyes."

"We'll compromise." Kenna put her hand on his lips.

"You come to bed with me at night and whatever demons chase you out, I understand." Kenna curled into him. "I love you Eliot." He kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too Kenna." Fighting her now would ruin what the last hour had brought back to them. A sense of peace. Who needed sleep? He got along without it just fine before. He would get along without it now.

"I wish we could stay here for the rest of the day." The sound of Faith giggling stopped Kenna for wishing anymore.

"You jump in the shower. I'll get the peanut." He untangled himself from her and reached for his jeans.

"Thanks." She got up but didn't bother to grab any clothes. Eliot watched his wife go into the bathroom and shook his head. He didn't know what he did without the woman in his life.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o

"We leave tomorrow for LA." Nate told Eliot as he came down to the bar.

"Okay." Eliot took a long drag of his beer.

"Kenna coming?"

"Do we need her?" He sat next to Nate.

"We don't need her for her to come along." Nate leaned against the bar. "The more the merrier I always say."

"Your actin' strange."

"Am I?"

"Yeah, you are."

"I guess it's just a really good day." Eliot chuckled. It had been a half way decent day. Hardison came through the door.

"Excuse me." Eliot set his beer down and headed the direction of the hacker. "You're a dead man." He growled. Hardison looked around, wondering who the older man was talking to.

"Me? What…" Eliot pushed him against the wall, his forearm against his throat. "Eliot, please."

"Repeat after me…I Alec Baltimore Hardison…."

"How did you know what my middle name is?"

"Hardison!"

"I Alec Baltimore Hardison…"

"Do solemnly swear…"

"Do solemnly swear…"

"To hire a fuckin' handy man…"

"What…" Eliot pushed his forearm tighter against the hacker's throat. "to hire a friendly handy man."

"To fix all the shit I don't know how, or have time to fix."

"To fix all the stuff I don't know how or have time to fix." Eliot looked at him. "I swear man. I'll put an ad on Craigslist as soon as you remove your arm from my throat."

"My wife fell off a ladder fixing something you should of done three months ago. It happens again I will take you out." Eliot released his friend. "Don't be surprised if she takes a swing at you too." He patted Hardison on the shoulder and went back to his beer.

"What the hell was that all about?" Nate asked.

"Hardison just made an executive decision to hire a handy man to fix some things around here."

"Executive decision, huh." Nate said.

"I just submitted a recommendation."

"Parker told me about this morning. Is Kenna okay?"

"Yeah, she'll live." Eliot took a drag of his beer.

"She's coming with us?"

"Yeah, she's comin' with us." He smiled.

"Good. Our flight leaves at eight." Nate patted the man on the back. "Have a good night." Eliot nodded. Kenna came up to him.

"Why did Hardison just run the opposite direction when I came down the steps?" Mike set a beer in front of her. "Thanks."

"Where's Faith?"

"Parker's took her for an hour." She leaned over and kissed her husband. "You never answered me."

"I talked to him about hiring a handy man to fix shit around here."

"Eliot, you didn't threaten him, did you?"

"Just a little and I made him swear."

"Now who's acting like they're two?" She raised her eyebrows. He leaned over and kissed her.

"Two year olds don't make you scream like I did this afternoon." He took a drag of his beer.

"You have a point there." She answered.

"Do you want to come to LA with us?"

"Do you want me to come to LA with you?" He looked at her.

"What do you think?"

"I think I created a monster this afternoon." She took a drink of her beer. He smiled.

"Darlin' I always have a hard on for you, this afternoon just proved it." Eliot finished his beer. "You up for pizza and a movie."

"Ewww, that's something normal people do Eliot. Are we becoming normal?" He chuckled.

"Baby, nothin' about us is normal. We're inviting a thief and a hacker to join us. How normal can that be?"

"This is true." Kenna finished her beer and the headed upstairs for a normal night in.


	20. Chapter 20

Sleepless In Boston

Chapter Twenty

"I hate LA." Kenna threw herself on the bed. Eliot chuckled and unbuttoned the dark blue silk shirt he had been wearing. Kenna leaned on her elbow and watched him.

"You see something you like Spencer?" He looked into her eyes as he stripped off his shirt and threw it on the chair.

"Damn straight." She smiled and lay back down on her back, closing her eyes. "I thought the heat in the south sucked." She moaned. "Fix the air conditioner Eliot."

"Ever since the plane landed you've been a whiney bitch, you do know that right?" Kenna smiled.

"Baby you weren't complaining in the bathroom at thirty-seven thousand feet." He smiled remembering his wife pulling him into the small restroom, shoving him down and having her way with him. He never believed his wife could be quite so flexible.

"You were a naughty, naughty, girl Kenna Shane Spencer."

"I thought you liked me naughty." He slid off his tan dress pants and threw them in the direction he threw his shirt. Kenna hadn't opened her eyes since she lay back down. He sat on the bed and ran his hand up her leg. "Mmmm Eliot please…don't stop." She moaned.

"We have to meet Nate and Sophie for dinner in…" He checked is watch. "Seventy three minutes."

"Baby, we've wrapped things up in seven minutes." She moaned as his hand moved higher up her thigh.

"The elevator at Trump Towers doesn't count. You never…finished."

"Oh you might not have been there baby but I finished." Kenna smiled. Her eyes opening as his thumb pressed against her heat. "If it's any consultation I was thinking about you when I did." He leaned over and kissed her.

"What am I going to do with you Kenna?" He whispered against her lips.

"Shut up and kiss me Spencer." She told him. Eliot obliged and took it one step further by sliding his hand between her jeans and her panties. Moaning Kenna deepened the kiss. He knew a million ways to rock her world but he knew this was at the top of her list. Sex without getting undressed seem to turn her on more than anything lately. Hell he couldn't remember the last time the two of them got completely naked to make love.

"I could stop." He said in her ear as his hand pressed against her now wet panties.

"You stop and it'll be the last thing you do." She was hot now, panting with need and he loved that he could make her that way with just a touch. Her hands gripped the bedspread and the need built inside her.

"Again with the mouth Kenna…" He didn't know when his need for her got so desperate but the mood changed and he didn't care about the game he had started but he needed desperately to finish it. He slid down her jeans in one fluid motion and tore the panties right off her. The change in mood didn't seem to bother Kenna. She let her husband kiss her hard and deep and let her finger nails rake across his back as he shed his boxers and pushed into her hard and fast.

"Oh God Eliot." She moaned. They had made love and they had sex. Taking it slow and taking it fast but at that moment Kenna wasn't sure what had gotten into him. The power behind his thrusts was like nothing she'd ever felt. He didn't slow down or lighten his strokes. He pounded into her as deeply as he could, pulling out again and again leaving her breathless. He was like a man possessed and she didn't care. Every muscle was screaming for release and Kenna wasn't sure if she wanted it to end. This Eliot intrigued and excited her more then he would ever know.

"I'm sorry." He gasped as he pushed into her one last time. As he tumbled over the edge, grinding hard against her, Kenna felt her own orgasm starting to build she knew what to do to bring herself to a shattering conclusion that would end his apology for not waiting for her. Taking his face in her hands she kissed him hard and let her tongue slide against his. Her hips moved and his body shifted pressing him just where he needed to be. Her muscled clenched and pulled him deeper if that was possible and she was propelled over the edge, screaming his name.

"Eliot!" She clung to him, the heat from the room and their bodies making it almost unbearable but neither cared. Labored breaths and rapid heartbeats filled the room for a long time after the coupling stopped. Eliot was the first to move. He didn't want to, but the heat was getting to them both and he knew it.

"If I would have known that was gonna happen I would have fixed the damn air conditioner before we started." He rolled off of Kenna and reached for the bottle of water next to the bed. He took a long drink and handed it to his wife. She took it and let the cool liquid run down her throat. Eliot looked at her. Her blond hair was plastered to her face and sweat covered the t-shirt he never removed. "I…" She put her hand on his lips.

"Just shut up." She said. "I don't care where it came from and I don't care why it came." She rolled over and looked at him. "I love you." Her hand reached out and brushed a strand of hair behind his ear. "Never say you're sorry for letting your passion get away from you. Any woman would kill to have a man feel that strongly about her. I know I haven't had a whole lot of experience but I know that I'm the only woman you let that see that passion." There were tears in her eyes. "Whatever it was Eliot, it was incredible." She leaned over and kissed him. Letting her lips linger till she felt him relax again.

"What did I do to deserve you?" He whispered.

"You saved me." She ran her hand down his cheek. "We better get ready; we have seventeen minutes to get downstairs to meet Nate and Sophie."

"We could share a shower." He smiled.

"Yeah, like that won't end badly." Kenna got up. "But who am I to refuse a shower buddy." She offered him her hand and she pulled him up. "You wash my hair and I wash yours?"

"Gotta love a lady with a plan." They made it downstairs in sixteen minutes.

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/

"You look a bit…warm." Sophie said from across the table. Eliot and Nate had gone to get drinks from the bar.

"The air condition is out in our room." Kenna answered.

"Oh is that what they're calling it now a days?" She replied.

"Is there something wrong with me?" She asked Sophie.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm thirty four years old and I can't get enough of my husband." Sophie chuckled.

"I would be more worried if you didn't. Eliot is a very attractive man Kenna. And you're a woman who knows what she wants and needs." Kenna looked at her husband standing at the bar with Nate.

"He always left me breathless but…"

"Now it's tenfold?"

"That's an understatement." Kenna said as she watched the two men carrying drinks walk back to the table.

"Not a bad thing Kenna, I promise." Sophie whispered. Kenna smiled.

"They were talking about us." Nate said.

"Do you blame them?" Eliot leaned over and kissed his wife and handing her a beer.

"No, I don't. So today went well." Nate looked at the other three people at the table.

"We hooked Lightmen. He wants in on the land deal, now we just have to reel him in." Sophie smiled. "Not bad for a day's work." They clicked their bottles and glasses.

"I hope Hardison and Parker stay out of trouble till we can get the job done tomorrow." Eliot added.

"Did you call Amy?" Kenna looked at her husband.

"Yeah, Faith is good. They we're going to the zoo tomorrow."

"Parker is going to be mad they went without her." Kenna said.

"She'll get over it." Eliot returned. Dinner was nice and the breeze blowing off the ocean so the heat was finally subsiding. Eliot excused them and took Kenna by the hand. "I want to show you LA's not such a bad place." He pulled her to the beach and they walked.

"Where are you taking me?" She pulled on his arm.

"The two year old is coming out again Kenna." Giving in she walked down the beach. "You can't tell me there's a view like this in Boston." The sun was setting and surfers were catching the last wave of the day. Kenna had to admit it was beautiful.

"Okay, you win. Once you see past the smog, the view isn't half bad." Eliot sat down and pulled her down with him. "It's been a long couple of months." He put his elbows on his knees and looked out over the water.

"Yeah, it has."

"I just want you to know, if I forget to say it along the way, the day you came back into my life Kenna, was the day I started living again. " His eyes couldn't be read because of the sunglasses on his face. "I don't ever want to know what it's like to ever be without you again." He reached over and pulled her close.

"You won't ever have to Eliot because I'm never going anywhere, ever again." Leaning up she kissed him. Sleep or no sleep she needed this man in her life night and day. He had been her savior, her lover, her friend and now he was her husband, now and forever. She would give up every minute of sleep if it meant keeping him safe from harm and far from the dangers of their job but she knew what she was getting into when she said I do. Who needed sleep when she had Eliot Spencer, Retrieval Specialist all to herself?

The End

o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o/o

**A/N: Well there's the end to Sleepless In Boston….Please review if you enjoyed the story as a whole. My next fic will be set two and half years in the future and have several flashbacks. If you like me to keep on with my Kenna/Eliot world telling me will help immensely in the pursuit of their happiness. Thanks. **


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